


Double Team

by alexcat



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-08
Updated: 2011-08-08
Packaged: 2017-10-22 09:31:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 26,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/236605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/pseuds/alexcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are new Goa’uld terrorizing the galaxy and SG-1 needs their android counterparts to help save the day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue;  We've Been Down This Road Before

**Author's Note:**

> This story is set sometime vaguely in season 4 or 5, before the death of Daniel Jackson and before Anubis becomes the head villain. I have stuck to canon as much as possible though I fudged things a bit here and there. The Goa’uld were named for the consorts and son of Ra. I thought they’d make neat bad guys.

Prologue

Harlan knew he shouldn’t have repaired his androids when SG-1 returned them to him but he did it anyway. He couldn’t maintain all the machines without help and besides, he was lonely without them, especially Jack O’Neill. His bad temper reminded Harlan of Wallace. He missed Wallace so much even after all these years.  
Chapter One - We’ve Been Down This Road Before

~~~

 

Chapter 1 - We've Been Down This Road Before

 

“So where is our next mission, sir?” Carter asked, figuring that Jack usually knew before they did even though he often acted as if he knew nothing.

“We are going to a formerly Goa’uld ruled planet to check on their progress. Since they were an agrarian planet, we have some new hybrid seeds for them to be able to grow better crops.”

Sam grinned. Col. O’Neill was quoting exactly what General Hammond had said to him. She’d bet her last dime on that.

Daniel joined them as they readied their packs for the mission to P3X-113. “These are the people who grew that odd oat-like stuff?”

“Yep, the ‘even worse than our oatmeal’ planet. I don’t see how they’ve thrived on such an awful food!” Jack shuddered at the thought.

“I personally liked the food,” Teal’c said as they headed for the Gateroom.

“You would,” Jack mumbled with a tiny grin.

Within seconds, they exited the Gate on the planet. There was no one about but the Gate was in a secluded area so that was no surprise. Jack signaled for the team to spread out from the Gate and they did so. All was quiet.

Until the sound of staff weapons firing split the air around them. They all ducked for cover and began shooting at the same time.

“Dial the Gate!” Jack shouted at Daniel. “I’ll cover you.”

Daniel did as he was told, having done it more times than he could count. Soon they were back in Cheyenne Mountain, trying to figure out what had happened.

“We were there not a month ago and they were doing fine. No Goa’uld. No problems,” Jack said in their debriefing meeting.

“Indeed we were,” Teal’c added in his normal loquacious way.

“This reminds me of something…” Carter let her sentence trail off, not sure whether to finish the thought or not.

“It reminds me of the robot SG-1,” Daniel said, knowing that Carter had probably been thinking the same thing.

Jack slammed his fist on the table. “Harlan promised he wouldn’t make another set when we returned the remains of the last ones to him.”

“Harlan promised a lot of things but I suspect he repaired them anyway,” Jackson began.

And Carter finished, “Just like he did before.”

“And them being us, they couldn’t stand to stay at home and tinker on Harlan’s damned machines,” Jack added.

“Well, they are exactly like us. What would you do?” Daniel arched an eyebrow at Jack.

Jack had never been comfortable with his ‘double’ and knew they should have destroyed them when Harlan made them. But it was hard to destroy someone who was… you. It was kind of like committing suicide, in a way. Still, he wished he had done it.

General Hammond came in and sat down. “So what happened?”

“Harlan is what happened.” Jack fidgeted just thinking about it.

“Have you ever thought that maybe the Goa’uld might have returned?” Hammond asked.

“I don’t think so, sir. They already mined off most of the naquadah and enslaved a good portion of the population many generations ago. There was little of value left there.” Jackson was always the expert on the indigenous populations.

“Then what do you suggest?” Hammond directed the question to O’Neill.

“Looks like we might have to go to Altair again and shut Harlan down. He is an android too so it wouldn’t be like we were killing someone.”

“Jack, he is still the last remaining member of an ancient and advanced civilization. We can’t just turn him off,” Daniel countered.

“But he’s right, Daniel. Harlan is an android, not a human being and if he’s endangering innocent people, we have to do something.” Carter was almost always the voice of reason and this time was no different.

“I know but to kill him is a bit, well, it’s like murder.” Daniel wouldn’t back down even when he knew he was defeated but this time, he wasn’t anywhere near ready to declare defeat.

They all started talking at once. General Hammond raised his voice. “Everyone! That will be enough. Col. O’Neill, take the team back to the planet and talk to Harlan. Find out why he’s let them do this again. Tell him what will happen if he doesn’t stop those androids from impersonating SG-1 all over the galaxy.”

“But they aren’t impersonating us, sir,” Jackson said. “They _are_ us and they are doing things that we do every day, reacting as we would.”

“As much as they look and think like you, Dr. Jackson, they are still androids and we can’t let them do things to endanger us or our allies. They must be stopped. You have a go to do that,” General Hammond said as he ended the briefing.

As they were gearing up to go, Daniel tried once again. “Jack, there has to be some way to make them stay away from planets that we’ve been to.”

“Is there?” Jack was pissed, both at Harlan and himself and he took it out on Daniel. “They are robots, Daniel. We have to stop them. It’s not debatable.”

Daniel was either brave or foolhardy but Jack had never been sure which one he actually was. He knew that in the end, Jackson would figure out some way to win. Daniel didn’t give up easily and he wouldn’t give this one up any easier than he did anything else. Maybe all the things he’d been through had made him this way. Jack wouldn’t have wanted Jackson to be any other way.

An hour later, they headed up the ramp to the Stargate.


	2. Com-Treya Again

Chapter Two – Com-traya Again

Harlan greeted them as they exited the Gate.

“Com-traya, my friends! It has been a long time since you have visited us here on Altair.”

“You mean since we brought you the broken robots?” Jack asked. Harlan seemed harmless but Jack still didn’t like him very much. The nastier he talked to him, the more Harlan seemed to like him. Who knew about these things?

“Yes, and I thank you for doing so.”

“You rebuilt them, didn’t you?” Jack asked.

“Well, of course he did,” an exact copy of Col. O’Neill said as he walked up to them. “He told you this place needed repairs and there was more work than he could do alone. That’s why he made us.”

“You weren’t any happier about that than I am, as I remember,” Jack retorted. His ‘double’ creeped him the hell out. It was like… hell, it was like nothing he’d encountered before or since.

“But you’ve not been staying here,” Carter said, bringing them all back to the reason they were here. If Jack and AndroidJack got started, they’d end up rolling around on the floor in mortal combat. It happened nearly every time they met. “You’ve been visiting planets and causing problems.”

“What problems?”

“The Goa’uld came back to P3X-113 and you were there.”

“We didn’t make the Goa’uld return and we tried to tell the natives what would happen,” AndroidCarter said to her double.

“Then what did happen?”

“We gated there and the Goa’uld had returned. Some of the natives were already worshipping them as gods again. We tried to get the people to rebel but there were only a few willing to fight. We fought with them as long as we could. Then we had to return here to recharge. Our battery packs work but not for more than a week. When we tried to go back, we couldn’t get any further than the gate.”

That got everyone’s attention.

“You still need to stop going on ‘missions’,” Jack said to AndroidCarter. “You put us in jeopardy when you do that.”

“How? We have the same goals, to rid the galaxy of the Goa’uld and to bring freedom to those who are willing to fight for it.” Both Daniels were very good with words but this came from the real Daniel.

“Daniel!” Jack was too exasperated to argue with one of his own team right now. Arguing with the androids was enough.

Harlan stepped between them all. “Come now. We must make peace. I need my SG-1 to help me here. The machines get older and rustier every day and I am just one. I need them. Surely you can see that.”

“Harlan, you’re not even real anymore. You’re a machine just like they are! Maybe it’s time to say goodnight and turn the lights out on this planet,” Jack said, not unkindly but he meant every word he said.

Harlan said nothing. It was not in his nature to argue. He had been Wallace’s best friend and brother and Wallace was often volatile and argumentative too but Harlan had never argued with him, not but one time anyway. He had argued when Wallace decided to leave and to stop his existence. He’d lost that argument and he would argue no more.

“Now just a damned minute!” AndroidJack said, moving around Harlan to face O’Neill again. “No one is turning out the lights on this planet yet!”

Jack moved so close that their chests were almost touching. Teal’c finally said something. “O’Neill, I believe we should listen to what they have to say. They may have very valuable information for us about the planets they have recently visited.”

Jack didn’t move for a second, trying to stare the android down. But AndroidJack didn’t move any more than Jack did. Finally O’Neill stepped back.

“Fine! We’ll hear them then we’ll shut them down.”

Jackson spoke up. “No one is shutting anyone down yet.”

After a few more minutes of glaring, they all went into one of the inner rooms and sat down around a conference table. Harlan smiled and bowed as he usually did.

“Welcome to Altair again, my friends.” O’Neill just shook his head in disbelief.

Over the next two hours, SG-1 found out that the Goa’uld had been revisiting many of the planets they had formerly abandoned as useless once their naquadah deposits were gone. They seemed to be re-establishing themselves as gods and setting up rule upon some of the planets again. They were actually meeting little resistance as these planets were often poor and sparsely populated due to years of abuse by the Goa’uld, who used up both people and planets with little or no regard for anything but themselves and their own selfish goals.

Finally they concluded their discussions about that subject and Jack brought up the reason they were there.

“You have got to stop leaving this planet! It makes traveling through the gate even more dangerous than it usually is for us because we have no way of knowing where you’ve been and what you’ve done.”

“So what if you did know where we’d been? Would that really make a difference?” AndroidJackson asked.

“You have no business being out there! You know too much. What if they catch you? What if they download your onboard whatever it is?” Jack wasn’t backing down.

“Remember when that Goa’uld tried to do that to Daniel before? Remember he had a self destruct device that kept her from finding anything?” AndroidCarter piped in. “Besides, we all did things that _you_ couldn’t do because we are androids! We could be of great help to you.”

“I don’t think General Hammond will go for this and frankly, I think it’s a bad idea too,” Jack said again though it was beginning to look as if he might be overruled by the others.

“Does he have to know?” AndroidJackson asked.

“Well, of course he does. I will not be a party to keeping information from my commanding officer.” Jack wasn’t always by the book but he was still quite a straight arrow as far as the chain of command went. Besides, his ass would be one on the line if they were found out.

“Then sell it to him. You know as well as I do that we are as good at what you do as you are. Hell, we are you!” AndroidO’Neill said.

Jack turned to Harlan. “This is all your fault, Harlan. Being sneaky and making copies of us! I still think we should shut you all down but I will take this back to Hammond. Don’t get your hopes up. I am sure he’ll say no.”

“We’ll abide by his decision,” Harlan said. “Won’t we?” He turned to his creations. They all nodded.

Liars, O’Neill thought to himself.

“Very well. Do NOT leave this planet until we return,” O’Neill said as they headed back to the Gate.


	3. Are You Crazy?

Chapter Three – Are You Crazy?

 

General George Hammond was accustomed to being surprised. The nature of his work demanded it but this one was more than he could believe.

“Are you crazy?” He yelled at Jack, which was totally out of character but his frustration was so high it simply slipped out.

“Sir, I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that Harlan and _his_ SG-1 team fall into the definition of sentient beings, therefore we cannot destroy them without just cause.” It was a long speech for O’Neill and everyone could tell he had memorized it. That alone told Hammond that this must be important, if not to O’Neill then to someone on his team.

Daniel Jackson’s next words told the general who it was who O’Neill spoke for.

“Sir, Harlan is the last of an entire civilization and we must study him more before we make a decision as rash as termination.”

“But these… this robot SG-1 is not ancient or the last of anything. Can’t you get rid of them?”

“Sir, it would seem that killing a person – android with the exact same face and mind as yours is a bit harder to do than we originally thought. I _like_ my counterpart. Killing her would be cruel,” Sam explained. “To me.”

“But to knowingly let them go out on missions?” Hammond still thought they had lost their minds.

“I’m not sure we can stop them. This way, at least we’d know what they’re up to.” Jack shrugged as he said it. He wasn’t at all happy with the idea but even Teal’c seemed to think they should let their android doubles do something to help defeat the Goa’uld.

“I don’t like it and I cannot authorize it. The Pentagon would court-martial me in an instant. All of you too.”

He said no more about it, one way or the other as they got down to discussing their next mission.

*

Daniel approached Jack. “So what are we going to tell them?”

“We’re not gonna tell them anything. Let them do what they will. We can’t stop them. All we can do is let them know where we’ll be so they don’t show up too.”   
“But General Hammond said we couldn’t do that,” Sam said.

“He said he wouldn’t authorize it. We’ll do it anyway. He didn’t forbid it.” Jack knew this was probably a decision that he would regret some day. Hell, he already regretted it. But they’d do it anyway. He didn’t see much choice. The other SG-1 was going out into the galaxy with or without their knowledge or their blessing.

*

“Com-traya!” Harlan was always excited to see them, always greeting them happily. He was an android but he was also an exact copy of the real flesh and blood Harlan of long ago. The android vessels were simply a repository for the minds of his people and of the SG-1 team, even though their real bodies still lived.

“Confab to you too.” Jack always intentionally refused to use the proper greeting.

“So did Hammond agree?” AndroidJack asked, cutting to the chase as usual, as he joined them in front of the gate.

“Not exactly but I think we can work out something anyway.” Jack said it grudgingly. AndroidJack upset him but he knew the other O’Neill felt exactly as he did. How could he not?

“Does that mean that Hammond said no or that he said not to tell him what we are doing?” AndroidJack asked.

“Well, he said he wouldn’t authorize it so I decided to simply do it anyway, just sort of unauthorized.”

AndroidDaniel smiled. “That doesn’t sound like you, Jack.”

“Your counterpart seems to think that you tin men have something to contribute. He thinks we need all the help we can in fighting the Goa’uld. In that I agree, though I’m not sure that you all will be that much help to us,” Jack answered AndroidJackson.

AndroidDaniel nodded, knowing that this was as close to approval or acceptance as they were likely to ever get from Jack O’Neill.

Hours later, the eight of them sat at a table covered with star charts and maps.

“We need to find out why the Goa’uld are going back to worlds that they have abandoned. There is nothing there for them that we can see,” Daniel spoke. “The Goa’uld do nothing without a reason, as we all know, so that is what we need from you. You already stumbled onto one world that they have returned to but in the last few months, we have found a few others.”

The android team agreed.

“We decided to give you a group of gate addresses and have you check them out for us. You are to observe only. Sneak in, sneak out and report back to us. We will set up a signal for you to send that will tell us you have intel.” Jack spoke directly to AndroidJack. “I mean it when I say do nothing. If you cause more trouble, we’ll turn you all into scrap metal, including you, Harlan.” He turned and looked at the older android who had quietly walked up behind them. “Got it?”

They all nodded, even AndroidJack. Harlan looked petrified for only a second until his placid smile returned.

“So shall we get down to it then?” Jack pointed back to the maps and star charts.

Android SG-1 would not be venturing far from their own planet. Well, distance really didn’t matter much with a Stargate but they did have limited amounts of energy for their recon missions. About a week was all they could manage and Jack hoped their trips were more of the one hour variety. He didn’t fancy having to dive in and save them from destruction. Or finding they’d already been to the world his team was visiting.

Sam spoke to her counterpart. “Make sure that Colonel O’Neill makes his reports too. I know how he hates paperwork.”

AndroidSam laughed. “He actually has tried to get Harlan to do them for him.”

Sam’s eyebrow shot up. “You already have mission reports for the times you’ve been out among the planets?” She couldn’t believe they hadn’t thought about such a thing before now. “May we see them?”

AndroidCarter disappeared and returned moments later with a large box of folders. She put them on the table. There were dozens of folders in the box.

“That many?” Carter was shocked. They had to have been going on weekly missions for some time to have so many files. General Hammond would really be angry if he knew about this. “Just how long have you all been going on missions since Harlan rebuilt you?”

AndroidJack answered for them all. He was, after all, their CO and they all were his responsibility. “We began that week and have gone out almost every week since.”

O’Neill’s face turned red with anger. “I told you we should have blown up everything on this planet!”

“Now Jack,” Daniel spoke with that calm, curious voice that only made Jack angrier, mostly because usually Jackson was right. “I’m sure if they found anything we should know about, they’d have contacted us.”

“Or gone to take care of it on their own like they did before!”

Daniel shrugged. “Or that.”

“Colonel, whatever they’ve done in the past is in the past. We are talking about the future here and what we will all do to find out what the Goa’uld are up to.”

Jack took a deep breath and nodded. She was right. Carter was always right, dammit.

“All right. Let’s go over these files and get down to business.”

They all agreed.


	4. No Matter What

Chapter Four - No Matter What

The files were thorough. Every member had done a written report and they ranged from AndroidTeal’c’s ‘Went to planet x, returned to Altair. All well,’ to AndroidDaniel’s detailed cataloging of everything he saw planet side for every single planet. And there had been quite a few. Carter counted thirty-one missions that they’d made reports on.

“Wow! These are a lot of missions,” Daniel finally said to AndroidO’Neill.

“We don’t have _The Simpson’s_ here so I get bored easily.”

“I’d say you do,” the real O’Neill said with a sour look at his double.

“What would _you_ do?” AndroidO’Neill asked him.

“Take up golf,” was the reply.

AndroidJack just shook his head. There was no one as annoying as he was, apparently.

Carter asked. “So just how many planets did you see the Goa’uld returning to?”

AndroidCarter answered that one. “Only four and it’s all in the reports. It’s okay for you to take them back to Earth. We have copies.” She quickly pulled out four folders and placed them on top of the others.

“Of course you do.” Jack threw the folder he had been reading in the box and stood. “We need to go home and read these. Don’t you move a muscle ‘til we get back. Or I’ll melt you down.”

The androids all nodded as he and SG-1 headed for the Gate. Just as they were entering the Gate, he said to Carter. “They’ll be out and exploring before we even get all the way home.”

“I know, sir, and that worries me.”

*

Jack O’Neill was right about them too. As soon as the human SG-1 was safely through the Stargate, they dialed it up and headed out to check out another former Goa’uld world not too far from their own.

They found nothing of note this time. The native population was quite happy in their small little towns, each one growing and thriving since the real SG-1 had helped them after the Goa’uld took off for greener pastures. They had begun to use the skills they’d learned as slave labor to work for themselves and were quite happy doing so.

Then one of them spoke about the mysterious lights in the nearby mountains.

Since Androids only suffer from low battery power, there was nothing to keep Android SG-1 from going to explore the area and find the source of the lights.

The mountains were a twenty hour walk over rough terrain. They didn’t take any of the natives with them. They didn’t want to be slowed down and they didn’t want the natives to notice their own superhuman endurance.

They saw the lights as the sun set. They were obviously from some sort of aircraft as they buzzed around in the sky just above the mountains. That ruled out anyone from the planet. The people there were still rather technologically primitive and had not even advanced to motor powered vehicles yet.

The team settled in to watch. The aircraft seem to be coming out of the mountain and flying around it then returning to the mountain. Every now and again, one of the craft would fly away.

“Could that be a disguised Mothership?” AndroidDaniel wondered aloud.

“I’m thinking yes. They must be mining something from the surrounding mountains but what?” AndroidCarter said.

AndroidO’Neill tapped his chin. “Maybe not. Let’s try to get in closer. Maybe we can see what they’re doing.”

They all knew it was probably a bad idea but that had never stopped them or their human counterparts from doing anything in the past. They began to move closer to where the small aircraft seemed to be coming from.

AndroidTeal’c was the first to notice something odd. “I do believe those planes are going into the mountain, not coming out.”

They all watched in silence as the tiny aircraft indeed flew into the large one from elsewhere on the planet. But what did it mean?

“We should go back and make a report to O’Neill,” AndroidCarter said but even as she said it, she knew that neither Jack nor Daniel would want to leave until they’d figured out what was happening or why it was happening.

“Just a few more minutes, Carter, then we’ll head back,” AndroidJack said as he held the field glasses up and watched the goings on above them.

They watched for another half an hour but saw no people outside the mountain so they had no real way of knowing just exactly what the Goa’uld, for they were certain this was a Goa’uld ship, were doing.

Finally AndroidJack had had enough. “We need to move closer. There’s nothing to see from here.”

They moved among the bushes and small trees toward the mountain or whatever it was. They moved silently, using hand signals to communicate. They gathered back together as a unit when they were close enough to see where the opening was.

AndroidJack hunkered down with his glasses and looked. Wordlessly, he handed them to AndroidTeal’c who shook his head and handed them to Jackson.

“What-” was as far as he got before Jack made a signal to be quiet.

AndroidDaniel gave AndroidCarter the glasses and she looked as ship after ship landed inside the opening. She could see people being herded out of the aircraft and farther back into the mountain by what appeared to be Jaffa with staff weapons.

Her eyes flew to AndroidJack in alarm and he nodded. Without a word, they began to trek back down the mountain to return to the village below. They had questions for the villagers, who it appeared had been holding out on them.

Several hours later, they sat in the local tavern with the elders of the village.

“Why didn’t you tell us the Goa’uld were rounding up people?” AndroidJack didn’t beat around the bush. He wanted answers and wanted them now.

“They have not taken people from our village,” the mayor said.

“So you thought they’d leave you alone if you didn’t tell us?” AndroidDaniel asked.

The old man nodded. “They came here months ago and asked if there were more villages. We didn’t know who they were so we told them about other villages and other towns. They never came back so we figured they were satisfied.”

“How did you find out who they were?” AndroidCarter wanted to know.

“One of our young men was engaged to a girl in another village and when he went to court her, there were no people left in the village. No one but a few Jaffa guarding the place. The next time he checked, even the Jaffa were gone.”

“So you kept the secret.” The disgust on AndroidJack’s face was obvious to all.

“We had no choice.”

“Well, now we know and we mean to find out what they’re doing, no matter what,” AndroidJack said ominously.


	5. There Goes The Neighborhood

Chapter Five – There Goes the Neighborhood

Back at Stargate Command, SG-1 was trying not to act like they were doing something sneaky and all they did was end up looking guilty as hell. Oddly enough, no one actually seemed to notice at all.

So they carried on.

They went over mission reports from other teams, the reports from Android SG-1 and looked back over their own reports and found that over the last six months, there had been nine instances of planets formerly held by the Goa’uld being invaded once again. Some planets had resisted but some had simply given in. It appeared from all the information they had that the Goa’uld were taking people from the planets, simply whisking them away and then leaving a small force of Jaffa to keep order. Usually the Jaffa left after a few weeks.

“So what does it mean?” Jack asked his team.

“It means they need people for something,” Daniel said. “But what?”

“I suspect that is the real question,” Teal’c said.

“Then I guess it’s up to us to figure out what they need these people for,” Jack said as he rose from his seat. “I’m going to tell Hammond what we’ve found and we’ll go from there.”

Hammond was both curious and worried. When the Goa’uld began to move things or people in large numbers, it meant they were up to something. When they were up to something, it usually meant trouble. Big trouble for everyone in their path. Big trouble for Earth.

“We’ll contact the Tok’ra and see if they know anything,” Hammond said as he picked up his red phone. “First, I need to brief the president that something is going on out there.”

“I’ll have Teal’c get in touch with Master Bra’tac too. His feelers are about as good as the Tok’ra and I trust him a damned sight more,” Jack said.

Hammond smiled. It was a well-known fact that Jack didn’t trust anyone who had a Goa’uld in their head. He’d been burned too many times to ever trust any snake-head, as he insisted on calling them. Hammond couldn’t say as he blamed him though. They’d put Jack through quite a lot over the last few years.

“So, is there some other planet we can go to or something while we wait for intel?” Jack was itching to get out there and do something. Sitting around and waiting made him cranky and ill tempered. Not that he needed any help in that department.

“I believe that Carter and Jackson have made a list. I will authorize visits to those planets we have not heard from in at least six months.”

There were now twenty-four planets on the list, ranging from small agrarian planets to two industrial planets with fairly large populated areas. The absence of word from those planets was especially worrisome. Those were the first two they chose to visit.

“Send the M.A.L.P. through,” Hammond commanded as he and the team stood behind Walter in the Control Room and watched the little vehicle roll up the ramp and disappear into the iris.

“Getting telemetry and video feed now, sir,” Walter advised.

They all watched as the video came into focus. The scene was a large green field surrounded by trees. The camera panned the area and tilted up so they could see the sky above the tree line. They could see the profile of a large city faintly in the background.

“That’s what it’s supposed to look like,” Daniel said.

“Look up there.” Sam pointed to something in the sky.

They adjusted the M.A.L.P. to look higher in the sky and there above the city was a ship, a Goa’uld ship.

“Damn! I hate the Goa’uld!” Jack meant it too. He’d hated them since he’d first gone to Abydos with Jackson and seen the damage that Ra had dealt there.

General Hammond spoke. “I think we already know that the Goa’uld are there. Unless you have a reason to gate there, I suggest we just add them to the list for now.”

Jack really wanted to go and kick some Goa’uld ass but he agreed with Hammond this time. They’d file the info away and move onto the next planet on their list. It was the other industrial planet. They sent the M.A.L.P. through. The skies were clear but there was something vaguely wrong. There was no air traffic and the smokestacks in the factories were not giving off smoke. Something wasn’t right at all.

“You have a go, team, and good luck,” Hammond said as they gave their gear one last check before heading out.

*

The gate was in a forested area in a park inside the largest city on Yveria. SG-1 didn’t expect anyone to notice their arrival and no one did. They moved out of the park and toward the center of the city. Everything looked normal with vehicles coming and going and people milling about town hurriedly as busy people often do. They walked to the government center, a large stone building that was near to the park. It held both city and national government offices as well as law enforcement and military offices. The team was familiar with the political and military leaders of the planet. They inquired at the desk on the ground floor and were escorted up to the president’s office without delay.

“Mr. President.” Jack bowed as did the team. This was customary on Yveria.

“Welcome, Colonel O’Neill, Major Carter. Dr Jackson, Teal’c. I have been wondering when you might come again to our planet.”

“We have had reports of Goa’uld attacks on some of their former holdings. We thought we would check things out here.”

The president was an older human, much like many of the presidents on earth, not quite elderly but a bit past middle aged. He was tall with silver hair and a kindly face that actually went with a kindly personality too. Jack and the team both liked and trusted President Goderic Mullever.

“We have not been approached yet though we have monitored what we believe to be Goa’uld ships above the planet. We have limited air travel and many factories are only working under dark of night.”

“The Goa’uld seem to be on the move, retaking planets that were once Goa’uld strongholds.”

The president couldn’t hide his alarm. “It has been many, many years since they left us, years in which we built a strong and prosperous world.”

“We’re here to make sure you are forewarned. Your planetary defense stations should help but if we know early enough, we may be able to offer some military help from the free Jaffa and the Tok’ra,” Carter said. Jack would never say anything positive about the Tok’ra, given the choice.

The president called in his defense chiefs and they discussed options. Yveria did not have space travel yet though they had used the Stargate upon occasion. They did not trade off planet either even though they had known of life outside their own planet for many years.

After lengthy discussions, SG-1 gated home. They all had an uneasy feeling that things were about to go from bad to worse.

And they were.


	6. And Another One Bites the Dust

Chapter Six – And Another One Bites the Dust

Not even one day had passed until Yveria contacted them.

“They are here. We can see them in the sky above us now. Four ships. Help us if you can!” It was an audio only feed from the president.

Jack slammed his fist on the table in the briefing room. “Why couldn’t they give us one more day?”

“We got a message from the Tok’ra. Dad says they’ll send a ship but it will take at least a day to get here,” Carter informed the team.

“The free Jaffa will send some troops but they do not have many to spare,” Teal’c reported what he’d heard back from Master Bra’tac.

“So we go then?”

“I’ll send some Marines with you, Col. O’Neill.”

“We’ll need an army I’m afraid. But if this is all we’ve got, then it’s all we’ve got.”

They suited up and armed themselves. Ten Marines went with them through the gate. They saw the Goa’uld ships in the sky as soon as they came through the gate. They dispersed quickly into the surrounding park. They could smell the ozone smell of staff weapons even though the park was quiet right now.

Jack signaled the Marines to follow at a distance and they obeyed his command, blending into the scenery as they advanced.

SG-1 headed toward the capitol building, hoping that the president was still there and still all right. There were guards on the doors but they appeared to be the presidential security team instead of Jaffa. That was good.

One particularly large man stepped out as Jack and the team approached. The Marines had stayed back in the edges of the park, watchful and ready if needed.

“You can’t go in there.”

“Oh? The president called us to come and now I can’t go in? Call him and tell him it’s Jack O’Neill.”

The young man spoke into his communications device and then backed off reluctantly, telling Jack, “He says you can come in, sir.” The president was in his office and he wasn’t alone. A woman dressed in ancient Egyptian style stood by his side. Her eyes flashed and she smiled a cold smile at O’Neill.

“I am Mut, god of this world. Why are you here?”

“You’re a false god,” Teal’c spoke calmly to the Goa’uld.

“You _and_ your companions will worship me or die, Jaffa.”

Jack O’Neill stepped toward her but was pulled back by Daniel and Sam.

“Easy, sir,” Carter said. “She’s just trying to provoke you.”

“Well, she’s doing a fine job of it.”

The president look scared to death but he was not cowering. He stood tall and strong, despite his fear.

“What do you want, oh great Mut?” Daniel asked her.

“I want this planet.”

“But the Goa’uld control so many planets. Why do you need one more?”

She laughed and her eyes lit up again. “Do you think me a fool, human?”

“No, Queen, but we are curious. Your people harvested this planet many, many years ago and we wonder why you are back again. There is no naquadah so that can’t be it.”

“It is no concern of yours, pitiful human.”

Inexplicably, she turned and left them, going out into the courtyard and being escorted away by her Jaffa. Jack radioed the Marines to fall back from the gate since that was where she was headed. There was little use of risking their lives right now.

The president sagged visibly when they were alone. “Thank you.”

“We didn’t exactly do anything. She had another reason for leaving but damned if I know what it is.”

“She asked questions about the population and which areas were higher populated than others.”

“She didn’t come here in four ships just to scout the area,” Jack said.

The telephone, one much like Earth’s twentieth century ones, rang and the president picked it up. He talked for a few moments, all the color draining from his face. When he hung up, he spoke. “It would seem they picked up entire cities in some of the more remote areas with smaller populations.”

“The ships _were_ transports then,” Carter said.

“But why do they need more people? Could they have found some planet with such a high concentration of naquadah that they needed to import a labor force to mine it?” Daniel pondered aloud.

“They have left orbit, according to the military. What am I to tell my people?”

Jack shook his head. “I wish to God that I knew. They’ll be back but more than that I have no idea. Put your military on alert. Let us know if they come again. We are trying to get a coalition to help defend against them but as of now, it’s just us and the few Marines hiding in the woods near the gate.”

“We have all of our resources at Stargate Command on this, Mr. President. We will figure out what’s going on,” Carter tried to assure Mullever.

“Carter knows what she’s talking about. She’s done things you’d never believe!” Jack smiled when he said it. “She’s the best brain on earth.”

“Sir!” Carter knew it wasn’t true but still she didn’t mind too awfully much when Col. O’Neill said it.

“She even destroyed a sun once,” Jack added, with a grin at Carter. She blushed and said nothing.

*

Back at the SGC, they weren’t as optimistic as they’d seemed to be on the planet. No one had a clue what was going on. They sat around the table and told Hammond what they’d found.

“It seems as if they’re herding humans like herding cattle,” Hammond said. “But why?”

“We need to hear from the Tok’ra. They have spies all through the Goa’uld forces,” Daniel stated, knowing they really were clueless until their information sources came up with something or were willing to tell them what they did know. The Tok’ra were suspicious and tight-lipped. Jack was not really wrong in his negative assessment of them. They really did have their own interests at heart, first and foremost.

No one went home that night. They all stayed in their rooms at Cheyenne Mountain, waiting and waiting.

Jack wondered if their android counterparts would be willing to go on some covert missions to try and find out some intel so they could do _something_. Anything actually was better than sitting here waiting for the Goa’uld to come to Earth to harvest the people of this planet too.


	7. Another Precinct Heard From

Chapter Seven – Another Precinct Heard From

In order to contact Android SG-1, the team had to use a bit of subterfuge. They gated through to the planet where their mission called for them to be then gated to Altair to speak with their non-human counterparts.

“I feel a little dishonest not telling General Hammond what we are doing,” Daniel said as they waited for Harlan to call the team in from working on the machine that kept their underground home up and running.

“I feel even worse that we’re going to actually let these androids go out on missions.” Jack still was uneasy about them. Whether it because they were exact copies or in spite of that fact, even he couldn’t say.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Jack and the gang,” AndroidO’Neill spoke with all the enthusiasm that the real Jack seemed to have about the mission.

“Hello to you too,” Jack countered.

“So what brings you here?”

“Let’s sit down and we’ll brief you.” Jack pointed to the conference table. They all sat and Sam and Daniel began to lay out what they knew so far.

“So what do we need to do?” AndroidDaniel asked eagerly, just as Daniel had always done.

“We need to send you to one of the planets that the Goa’uld have re-occupied. We need intel and the M.A.L.P. just doesn’t send us enough information to figure out just what is going on. We are working with another planet that has been invaded at the same time. Several Goa’uld ships loaded a large number of prisoners there and left.”

“Give us the gate address and we’ll head out,” AndroidJack said.

“Don’t engage them. You are there strictly on a fact finding mission. Is that clear?”

“What fun is that?”

“Right now, we need to know what and why. We’ll deal with stopping them when we find out those things.”

“You’re spoiling my fun,” AndroidO’Neill said sourly to O’Neill.

“I know,” Jack smiled back.

After the briefing, SG-1 headed out on their real mission to another small planet on their list. The probe had found out little of value so they had to check it out in person. All was quiet as they came through the gate into a large grassy field.

Jack signaled them to spread out as they left the gate area. They kept walking until they were all out of sight of the others. They clicked their mics to signal that all was well so far.

It, of course, did not stay that way.

A staff blast split the air near Teal’c and he wheeled around, firing his own staff in the direction it came from. He backed up toward the gate as he continued to fire. The other team members began to draw back toward the gate too. Jack was taking fire as he dropped back as well.

“Gate out?” Daniel asked.

“That or die,” Jack answered as they all began to cover Jackson as he dialed them home.

*

General Hammond and Jacob Carter/Selmak greeted them as they came through the gate into Cheyenne Mountain. Sam hugged her father and Jack shook his hand.

“So the Tok’ra have arrived,” O’Neill said, not without a trace of irritation in his voice.

“I came as soon as I could get away,” Jacob said.

“Dare we ask what you were doing?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“No, I think not.”

General Hammond broke in. “Jacob tells me that they’ve been watching this situation for several months. Their people on the inside have not sent them any news about what is going on yet though.”

“What good are spies if they don’t know anything?” Jack was picking and poking, spoiling for a fight with someone, maybe anyone. He hated the helpless feeling that he was getting.

“It’s not like they can pick up a phone and call, Jack. You know that.”

“Sorry, Jacob but Goa’uld on the move worry me. When I worry, I’m no fun.”

“Shall we go to the briefing room where Jacob can tell us more?” Hammond held his hand out, inviting them to exit the Gateroom.

The team stowed their gear and met General Hammond and Jacob in the conference room a few moments later.

“Here’s what we know. About six months ago, some unknown Goa’uld began returning to planets the system lords conquered and abandoned years ago. Some of those planets were still rather decimated with few inhabitants but most had recovered and grown, especially in population. The question is why.”

“We pretty much have that info too but the why is eluding us as well,” Sam said to her father.

“We know they use humans as Jaffa and as hosts. It has to be one or the other,” Daniel said. “Well, there are slaves too, I suppose.”

“With more Jaffa leaving to join the Free Jaffa, maybe they need to recruit more for their armies,” Teal’c added. The Free Jaffa were a source of great pride to him.

“Or it could be something more sinister. What if they are breeding more symbiotes and need more hosts for them?” Jacob asked.

A shiver ran through them all at the thought. The galaxy certainly didn’t need more Goa’uld to wreak havoc. _They_ didn’t need more of them to deal with either.

“Are the Tok’ra willing to help us?” Jack asked, though he knew what they’d say.

“We can share some intelligence with you but other than that, there is little we can do.”

Jack harrumphed as he always did when the Tok’ra made excuses. As far as he could see, they were simply just nicer Goa’uld. But still Goa’uld in the end.

“We will be in touch. I am expecting some word from one of our operatives soon. That may give us the information we are searching for,” Jacob said as he rose to leave. “Sam, you be careful out there.”

“I will, Dad. You do the same.” She hugged her father and walked with him back to the Stargate.

O’Neill turned to General Hammond. “Now what? We have planets that need help, real help and we simply don’t have the manpower or hardware to help them.”

“Well, I suggest we get together with the governments on these planets and use their military under our guidance to fight this invasion. That’s all we can do until we find out the source of the problem and stamp it out.”

Jack nodded. “I agree. We’ll go back to Yveria and help the president set up at least some defense against the snakeheads.”

Hammond nodded. “You have a go.”


	8. Children of the Ruins

Chapter Eight – Children of the Ruins

Android SG-1 was serious about their mission and immediately got their gear ready to go. They gated to the large planet that SG-1 had only looked at through the M.A.L.P. before going on to the next one. Solvana.

The area around the gate was quiet. They saw no Goa’uld ships in the sky above them though they had noted that they’d been seen by SG-1 in their video feed from the Gate earlier. They assumed that the Goa’uld had taken what they needed and gone as they had on Yveria.

“I remember this planet. They were occupied by the Goa’uld hundreds of years ago until their naquadah deposits ran out. The people are human in form but their organs are a little different than ours,” AndroidDaniel said.

“Everyone’s are different from ours. We’re machines,” AndroidJack reminded him.

“Well, you know what I mean.” AndroidDaniel made a wry face at AndroidO’Neill.

“The city should be this way,” AndroidJack said, changing the subject. He didn’t like talking about the fact that they were androids. He felt like he always had: Jack O’Neill.

The city was, or what was left of it, was in the direction AndroidO’Neill pointed out to them. Many of the buildings were destroyed and had been done so long enough ago that the smoke had stopped. Some very tall buildings were standing but they were only shells, empty shells. They may have e looked whole from a distance to the SGC’s M.A.L.P.

“This city had skyscrapers!” AndroidDaniel said, almost to himself.

“Not so much anymore. This looks as if it were hit by several large bombs at once,” AndroidCarter commented as they moved closer to the ruins.

“Well, let’s see if we can find any witnesses. Or anyone at all, for that matter.” AndroidJack led them down streets that looked quite like photos of London after the bombings during WWII. Large and small buildings were reduced to piles of rubble.

They walked from one crumbling and burned out block to another. There were no signs of life here. None. But there were also no bodies, no bones, not anything to support the fact that anyone had lived here in a long, long time. Or that anyone had died here.

“Sir, this was a thriving civilization the last time we were here. Why would the Goa’uld do this?”

“I’m not sure they did,” AndroidTeal’c said as he stopped to pick up what looked like a piece of shrapnel. “This is not Goa’uld technology.”

“The Goa’uld steal technology though,” AndroidDaniel said.

“But they put their own stamp on it, make it Goa’uld,” AndroidTeal’c explained. “This I believe to be the technology of this world. Perhaps they blew up their own cities rather than give them to their ancient enemy.”

“Is that even possible? Where are the people then? I don’t remember this planet having space flight yet,” AndroidDaniel pointed out.

“I’m thinking we probably ought to head back to the gate soon.”

No sooner were the words out of AndroidCarter’s mouth than they heard the rumbling of an engine and they all watched as an armored vehicle rolled down the street over the rubble and carnage. They took cover behind a still standing wall toward the end of the long wide street.

The vehicle rolled down the street parallel to where they took cover and stopped. The top popped open and two very small people got out. It was only as they scurried down to the ground with rifles in hand that the androids realized they were children. Neither of them could have been more than ten years of age.

“We know you’re here! Come out and surrender or we’ll get back in that tank and blow you to bits.”

The team knew the boy meant it too. They came out slowly, with their weapons pointed downward.

“We mean you no harm. We are from,” AndroidDaniel hesitated, “Earth. We have been here before.”

“Where were you when the Gules came for us?”

“We had no way of knowing what was going on,” AndroidCarter answered the girl.

“You must have found out or why would you be here now?”

“We came as soon as we did find out. Can you tell us what happened?”

“They came in ships and took people. Our armies tried to fight them but they were too strong. We destroyed our own cities to make them leave. It worked and they left but there ain’t many of us left.”

“Where do you live?” AndroidDaniel asked.

A third child popped out of the tank. “Don’t answer ‘em, Kannath. We don’t know they are who they say they are. I don’t member no one from Earth.”

Kannath looked back at the tank. “I do, Morti. It was these people who come before. Ain’t that right, Meggie?”

The girl nodded solemnly and pointed to AndroidDaniel. “That man gave me a candy from Earth and it was sweet.”

Morti still wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know if we ought to take them to our home though. What if they got them Gules inside ‘em?”

Meggie laughed. “Then we’ll shoot ‘em and cut off their heads like we did them other Gules.”

Had the team been human, they might have shivered at the image of a small girl cutting the head off of another person, even a Goa’uld. They were horrified as much as possible for androids.

“You ride with Morti,” Kannath said to Meggie, “and I’ll walk with these here to keep guard on ‘em.”

Meggie and Morti turned the tank around and waited for Kannath and his captives to walk in front of them. They headed back down the streets, climbing over large pieces of building materials and even some burned out vehicles when there wasn’t a way around them. The big tank just rolled over the obstacles as if they were nothing.

They walked for about an hour, heading out of the city and into the nearby hills. Smoke could be seen in the distance and AndroidDaniel even thought he heard voices. As they neared, a huge group of children came running out to meet them, knives and guns in hand.

One rather burly boy shouted to Kannath, “Can I have their heads?”

“No, Kalek, we ain’t gonna kill these. They’re not Gules.”

The big boy looked crestfallen.

“Everybody gather round!” Meggie shouted as she dropped to the ground beside the tank. “These are Earthers and they come before. Anyone else remember them?”

Several hands came up and the children crowded in closer. They reminded AndroidJack of some wild dogs he’d seen one summer when he was a boy in Minnesota. Those dogs had killed and eaten a hunter.


	9. A Country of Their Own

Chapter Nine – A Country of their Own

The children escorted Android SG-1 into a makeshift shelter they’d built from wood, branches and pieces of tin they’d scavenged from around the town. They had a fire outside the shelter and were cooking something on a spit. It was fairly good sized and looked like some sort of wild swine.

Even though they had no need to eat, Android SG-1 were made so they could actually eat and even had the sensations of taste and smell to make it enjoyable so they knew if offered, they could eat with the children so as not to make them suspicious. They saw no need for the children to ever know they were not the human SG-1, no reason at all.

Kannath motioned for them to sit around the fire. Morti disappeared into the hut and came out a few moments later with two older teens, a boy and a girl.

“These here are our president and chief of police,” he told the team. “They’re Alton and Aggie. They’re the kids of the grownup president and chief of police so we elected ‘em to be our leaders too.”

“Good to meet you both,” AndroidDaniel said with a smile.

“Time’ll tell,” the girl, Aggie said as she walked around them, taking in all the details. “Morti, why have they still got guns?”

“Didn’t seem to be no need to disarm ’em. They ain’t shot at us.”

She nodded, deferring to the smaller boy’s logic, however flawed it seemed to Android SG-1.

“Morti says you want to help us. What do you think you can do?”

“We don’t know yet but perhaps there are other people left on the planet, people who still have cities and homes. Maybe you’d be safer with them,” AndroidDaniel said.

“We weren’t safe with our families in our city or the countryside either. Why would we be safer anywhere else? The Goa’uld won’t bother with such a small group as we are,” Alton said.

“You could be right. In that case, we won’t tell anyone else of your hiding place but we would like to know any details of the attacks that you can give us,” AndroidJack said directly to Alton, showing the boy respect as the president of this little country.

“They came about two months ago. We’d never seen them so no one seemed to know exactly who or what they were. Well, no one but an old man who’d studied them from times long gone.

“He said they were the Goa’uld, enemy and enslaver of our people in times long gone from even the oldest person’s memory. No one believed him. But he was right. They began loading the grown-ups on their ships and taking them away. My father and the armies tried to stop him but there weren’t many people left to fight and those that did died.

“We ran for the hills when the battle started. Lots of us knew how to live outdoors from camping and stuff so we made this shelter and we sneaked back into the cities after they left. We burned the bodies of our people as is fitting. Meggie said the words over them as her own mother had done. Then we found a bunch of bombs. The Goa’uld must’ve left them, meaning to come back and blow what was left up but we saved ‘em the trouble.”

“There was a Goa’uld ship above the old city a few days ago,” AndroidCarter said, remembering that O’Neill had told them about what the M.A.L.P. had shown.

“They fly over once in awhile but they don’t land, at least not here. We don’t know about the rest of the planet. We’ve had no contact since the invasion.”

“We might not be able to bring the others back to you but we can try to help you if you’ll let us. What do you need? We can have canned food brought in for now. Clean water. Doctors and medicines if you need them,” AndroidJack promised and meant it even if he had to steal those things for them.

“We could use some of those things but we don’t want the Goa’uld to see you bringing them in,” Aggie said.

“If we come through the gate, they would stand less chance of seeing us,” AndroidTeal’c said.

Alton and Aggie nodded.

“One thing,” Aggie asked as she looked at Teal’c. “He has the markings of their soldiers. Is he one of them?” She nodded to one of the armed boys, who pointed his rifle at AndroidTeal’c.

AndroidTeal’c answered for himself. “I am no longer slave to the false gods. I am a free Jaffa and will die to help others be free.”

Aggie didn’t say anything for a moment then she smiled at him. “Welcome to our home then.”

They stayed the night with the children, sitting around the campfire, telling stories about other planets they’d been to and what they’d seen and listening as the children talked of happier days with their families. It was late when the last of them finally slipped away to sleep. The team guarded their sleep and left for home after the sun rose on a new day.

When they got home, they sent a message through the Stargate for O’Neill, giving him their report and asking for his help.

AndroidCarter looked at them all. “What are we going to do if SG-1 can’t help us?”

“We’ll steal what we need from somewhere. We have many gate addresses. Those kids are alone for all their bravery and harsh lives. They need help and I mean to get it for them,” AndroidO’Neill said, surprising himself with his own passion about the children.

“Right now we need to get our travel packs charged for our next time out,” AndroidCarter said.

Harlan greeted them. He had been working on the machine when they came in and he hadn’t met them.

“I have a message from O’Neill for you. He says he might need you for another mission. I told him you had not yet returned from Solvana. Was your mission a success?”

“Yes and no. We found out what happened there but we were too late to help most of the people. We found some children who had set up their own little country.”

Harlan looked wistful for a moment. “It has been too long since I have seen little ones. Did you know that I once had children?”

Before anyone could say anything, Harlan smiled and said, “You are my children now, no?”

Android SG-1 nodded wordlessly. There was little to say in answer to that question.


	10. The Mercy of Strangers

Chapter Ten – The Mercy of Strangers

O’Neill got the message from Android SG-1. He knew they had to help those children but short of telling Hammond what he’d done, he didn’t know how he was going to it.   
He told the others what he’d found out and they all decided it was best to go to the general. Hammond might be angry with them and punish them later but now, he’d do what needed to be done. He was a decent man and would want to help the children of Solvana as much as they did.

“You what?” Hammond’s face turned an unhealthy color of red and Jack wouldn’t have been shocked to see steam blow out of his ears.

“It was my call, sir. We needed intel from Solvana. They were willing, hell, they were eager to help so I gave them the coordinates. They were going to do something anyway. Might as well let them do something helpful.”

“I know you might have interpreted my orders as ‘Do as you wish. Just don’t tell me,’ but Col. O’Neill, this could have turned into a nightmare. It may yet.”

“I realize that, sir and I take full responsibility for the actions of SG-1, this one and the androids too.”

“You certainly will!” Hammond was still shouting but his color had changed closer to his normal one. “Now what do those children need? I can have the Marines take them to the Alpha site.”

“Sir, I think all the other team needs from us right now is food, water and a medic of some sort to visit Solvana with them. Those kids are going to shoot at anyone else who comes through the gate. He said they’re very well armed and don’t mind using their weapons.”

“He?”

“The other O’Neill, sir. I can’t quite call him Col. O’Neill.”

Hammond sighed, defeated yet again. “Take what you need. Let the androids take it to the planet but I want Dr. Fraiser to go along. She shouldn’t be too intimidating to the children. She’ll need some Marines to help her too.”

“Sir, she could intimidate a bull elephant but I think she’d be a good choice.”

So they loaded several flats with food and water, and along with Dr. Fraiser, they gated to Altair.

The android team was waiting at the gate for them.

“It’s about time!” AndroidO’Neill shouted at them as they came down the ramp. He and the others gathered around the flats to see what SG-1 had brought then they all spied Janet.

AndroidDaniel grabbed her and hugged her. “It’s been so long!”

Janet looked about helplessly as each of the androids greeted her like a long lost friend, which was exactly what she was to them.

“I’m here to help you. I’m going to the planet to check out any injuries or illness the children may have.”

“They’ll love you,” Daniel told her as the last of the flats and crates came through, “and you’ll love them.”

SG-1 and Android SG-1 checked off things on the master list that Dr. Fraiser carried and Jack gave her last minute instructions, as well as wishing her luck. He hated sending her into what could be a dangerous situation but she had wanted to go when she heard about the colony of youngsters. Jack was hoping she might convince them to let her move them to the Alpha site. They’d be safe there, at least much safer than they were on Solvana right now.

Finally everything was ready. AndroidDaniel dialed the gate and he, Janet and AndroidCarter went through, followed by the supplies with AndroidTeal’c and AndroidJack guarding the rear, along with the Marines that Hammond insisted on sending.

The gate area was quiet as it was before but not for long. It was only minutes before the tank rolled up, along with a beat up old station wagon. Alton and Aggie got out of the car and Kannath and Morti popped the top on the tank.

“Greetings, Earthers. You have brought another stranger.” Aggie pointed her gun at Janet though not in a threatening way, only as a pointer.

“This is the doctor we spoke of. Her name is Doctor Fraiser,” AndroidDaniel called out.

“You can call me Janet,” she said as she stepped forward to greet them as if children driving tanks and wielding guns were the most natural thing in the world to her.

“Welcome to Solvana, Janet. We have citizens who need some medicine. We don’t have any. Maybe you can help us.” Alton extended his hand in greeting.

Janet very solemnly shook hands with the teenager as if he were an adult head of state.

“Let’s get out of the open and back home,” Morti called out as everyone began packing the supplies in the car and into the tank and off they went. The motorized flats moved faster with less of a load so they all moved along at about the same pace. It took a little more than an hour to reach the village.

Children came from everywhere as they entered the village. Janet was amazed. There had to be at least a hundred children here and none of them older than Alton and Aggie. They crowded around to see what the strangers brought.

Janet had packed some toys, coloring books and some stuffed animals. She knew that even kids who had to grow up too fast needed the things that made them children now and again.

They began unloading supplies. The case of marshmallows fascinated them all and Janet promised to show them how to toast marshmallows later in the evening.

“First things first,” AndroidDaniel told them. “We have fruits and foods from our world and if I remember correctly, they are similar to yours.”

The next few hours were spent in eating bananas and apples and getting to know the newcomers. Janet fell in love with the brave survivors as they shyly allowed her to check their eyes and their heartbeats. Some even lined up to show her small injuries that they wished her to bandage.

She remembered that the older children had said something about sick or seriously injured children too but she decided that perhaps if they’d waited this long, one more night wouldn’t make a lot of difference.

At least she hoped so.


	11. Ready for the Worst

Chapter Eleven – Ready for the Worst

O’Neill was apprehensive about allowing the android team to handle such an important mission as the one on Solvana, but there had been little choice. It was vital that the children not find out that their SG-1 team was not the one from Earth.

Or not exactly the one from Earth. They did have memories of the planet as a peaceful and prosperous world just as he, Carter, Daniel and Teal’c did. He just hoped they managed not to give away their secret.

The doc was sensible and would rein them in if they got out of hand. He hoped she would, at least.

It was time for him and his team to head back to Yveria. He, General Hammond and the team had come up with some ideas for the Yverians to be able to defend themselves at least long enough to send a sizable number of refugees to the Alpha site and a couple of other classified planets that were equipped to take over for the Alpha site if it were compromised somehow. These planets were set up to handle large numbers of people, to feed them and provide the basics for a limited amount of time.

SG-1 headed out at dawn the next day. No more distress calls had come in and they all hoped that this was a good thing. They were actually carrying some ground to air missile platforms and missiles. They had worked out plans for the capitol city to be protected by these weapons and the fighter aircraft that the Yverians had already built to defend against just such an occurrence.

President Mullever was still in his office though he was getting frantic with worry after hearing from SG-1 what had happened on Solvana. He had not known of the other planet but it didn’t take much to see it had been much like their own until about two months ago.

“I don’t think my people will leave.” Mullever had not liked the idea of sending citizens to the off-world sites.

“Would you want your family to be taken? Your spouse? Kids?” Jack meant to have his way and evacuate as many people as humanly possible over the next few days, if they even had that long.

“No but to leave their homes…”

“…could save their lives, save your people even if your planet is ruined,” Daniel said. “Believe me, sir, losing your family is not something you want to do.”

“Let’s put this all out here on the table,” Jack said. “We need to know how strong you are, how many planes, ships, guns, and men you have. Conventional weapons are not much use against the Goa’uld but they are all you have so they’ll do. At least we can slow them down.”

So they studied stacks of papers with numbers and maps with bases and anything else they could to formulate a plan. Mothers and their children were being evacuated first. They would go to the Alpha site, where there was medical care and plentiful food for them. The elderly would follow next.

It was fortunate that most of the people on the planet lived in a cluster around several main cities. All the population was on one large continent and the planetary government was centralized. The only civilians far outside the metropolitan area were the large farmers and miners. Many of them lived in around the cities too and commuted by auto or small plane to their respective work places.

Jack thought the leadership should also evacuate but Mullever refused, saying his place was here at home. His administration followed suit.

“You guys sure could teach our politicians a lesson back on Earth. They’d be the first lined up to go through the gate if trouble came,” Jack said.

“Not everyone, sir. There are still a few good guys out there,” Carter said, thinking of their own CO. General Hammond would be the last to go.

“I think we are as ready as we’ll ever be, Mr. President,” O’Neill said to Mullever.

“Whatever happens, Col. O’Neill, my people and I thank you for doing this. We can never repay you for all you’ve done for us.”

“I’m just doing my job, sir,” Jack said and meant every word. As irreverent as he could be, he took the job seriously and meant to do the best he could.

The president and SG-1 went to the Gate to watch the first people go through. People were lined up all the way out of the clearing and out of sight. There were women with bags and suitcases and children with their stuffed animals and blankets. There were old women and men, who looked uncomfortable to be leaving. Many of them felt all the young should go first. Soldiers were telling their families goodbye before sending them through the gate and being themselves deployed in defense of the planet.

It was a very emotional thing to see. Even Jack wiped a tear now and again as he watched a tiny boy or girl kiss a parent goodbye, not knowing what was really happening but knowing that all the grownups were upset about something.

Once the president was satisfied that all was going well, they drove out to the military base, where the majority of the weaponry was housed, at least until now. Anti-aircraft guns were being moved into positions all over the planet and naval ships rushed to distant locations.

Bunkers had been set up in the city, to shelter as well as hide citizens who stayed behind.

When all was said and done, no one felt very optimistic but they all felt satisfied that they were as ready as possible for an enemy that far outgunned them. The president broadcast an update, encouraging his fellow Yverians to hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.

When the sun was high in the sky the next day, the outermost of their satellites picked up incoming ships. There were at least ten of them. Everyone looked skyward, knowing they didn’t stand a chance.

Not a chance in hell.


	12. Land of Sand and Sun

Chapter Twelve – Land of Sand and Sun

While Jack O’Neill was helping the planet Yveria set up some planetary defenses with their radar, navy and aircraft, the Tok’ra were getting a much delayed message from their operative among the Goa’uld.

The news was not good.

The operative was a low level Goa’uld so she wasn’t privy to what the system lords were really doing but she was observant. Several things set off her suspicions. The Goa’uld system lords were getting ready to have a meeting. This meeting was to discuss an unnamed Goa’uld who had set up on some unknown planet and was taking many prisoners to this planet.

Jacob read the dispatch from the Tok’ra home world and sighed. There really wasn’t much to go on.

“Is this it?” He asked the young man who’d brought the message in to him.

The man nodded.

Jacob knew there was more going on than he could see. Why was this so important to the system lords? Was it someone they knew or someone new? How could he find out?

He had an idea but it would take help from General Hammond and SG-1. And they weren’t going to like it. Not one bit.

*

“The Tok’ra want what?” Jack was talking with General Hammond over the M.A.L.P.

The general repeated it and smiled as Jack let loose a long expletive filled answer.

“Somehow I knew you’d say that,” Hammond answered.

“How will us getting captured help things?”

“You should be able to find out what’s happening from the inside.”

“Then what? We won’t have any weapons.”

“We’re working out the details right now with the Tok’ra.”

Jack didn’t like the sound of that and it showed on his face. He liked Jacob but the rest of the Tok’ra, no. They were still Goa’uld to him.

“Are you sure they’re our only help?”

Hammond nodded. “Right now they are and I don’t see this situation getting any better unless we do something.”

Jack nodded. “Yes, Sir. I’ll tell the others. Promise me you’ll send someone to help these people when we’re gone.”

“SG-12 is getting ready to head there right now.”

“How are we to get there? If we get picked up as slaves, they’ll know Teal’c.”

“We are trying to make some arrangement with the Tok’ra to fly you there, or at least take Teal’c.”

“We’ll gate back as soon as the new team is here and briefed, sir.”

Jack stepped back and the iris closed.

In a few hours, SG-1 walked through the gate in Cheyenne Mountain. Jacob was waiting.

“We have a ship in high orbit. It’s an Al’Kesh and with the cloaking capability, I should be able to get close to the Goa’uld stronghold without being spotted. I can set you all down then go back into orbit and wait.”

“What about Teal’c?” Daniel asked.

“He will stay on board with me.”

Teal’c nodded.

Jack made a wry face and shrugged his shoulders. “What are we waiting for?”

“You have a go, SG-1.”

*

A few hours later, they were traveling in hyperspace toward the Goa’uld dominated world of Waset. Neither the Tok’ra nor the Tau’ri knew much about it other than the recent knowledge of where it was located. They had gained this knowledge through simply following one of the ships from Yveria back to its home.

“So do you have a plan?” Jacob asked Jack as they traveled faster than light across the galaxy.

“Nope. Not a damn thing.”   
“We were kind of hoping you did, Dad,” Carter smiled weakly at her father.

“Well, I plan on dropping you somewhere on Waset, then monitoring you from aloft.” He made one of those faces that the Tok’ra tended to make when they thought humans were a bit slow, the kind of face that irritated O’Neill terribly.

“Well, we know we need to find out why they are taking so many people from their homes and we need to find out where they’re being held.”

“And it might be helpful if you can find out who these Goa’uld are.”

“It would be helpful if we just killed all the Goa’uld,” Jack growled.

“Perhaps if Major Carter can blow up a sun, then she can someday blow up a planet,” Teal’c said.

Carter looked at them all in mock dismay. “No one ever lets you forget blowing up a sun, do they?”

Jack shook his head. “Nope, and they never will.”

By the time they arrived at the planet, they had a loose plan. They’d decided against getting captured. They would, instead, go down to the planet and somehow sneak their way into the palace. They assumed there would be a palace because all Goa’uld had them, usually made from a Ha’tak until they had sufficient slaves and materials to build one on the planet.

Once in, they’d wing it, depending on what they found out. It was their usual plan.

In the end, they actually used the rings because the palace was indeed a Ha’tak and they had enough knowledge of the layout to know which rings would be more hidden from general view.

Once there, Carter looked around. “Not much creative, are they?’ It did indeed look like every other mothership the team had ever been aboard.

They decided to try to look outside and see what the planet looked like. That was easier said than done, since the palace was all closed up. With a good working knowledge of the layout, they found one of the hatches unguarded and actually open.

Waset itself looked like Egypt in the time of Ra. There was sand as far as the eye could see. There were also hundreds and hundreds of transport vehicles lined up in front of palace. It looked like a giant school bus parking lot.

“Oh!” was all O’Neill said as he looked out on the fleet.

“They mean to move an awful lot of people with those,” Daniel said, staring out at them.

“But where are they moving them to and why?” Carter asked. “Let’s find out, sir.”

“I’m with you, Carter.”


	13. Castles in the Sand

Chapter Thirteen – Castles in the Sand

No one saw SG-1 as they sneaked out and ducked down behind the transport. They did actually think it a bit odd that they were seeing no one. No Jaffa, Goa’uld, no one at all. Then they heard it. A Hat’ak coming in to land down at the far end of the line of transports.

They watched the huge ship land and Jack got out his field glasses to look. What he saw left him speechless. He handed the glasses to Carter. She looked then handed them to Jackson.

The doors had opened and an almost endless line of people began to disembark and go toward the nearest transport. There they boarded under heavy guard. As soon as the vehicle was full, it pulled out of the line and headed in a westerly direction and the next one began to load.

“Where are they taking them?” Daniel asked, a rhetorical question but he needed to say it out loud.

“I guess we’re gonna have to find out. Come on.”

They sneaked down the line closer to the Hat’ak and watched. The people they could see were dressed in various styles of dress indicating that they were from different cultures, if not different planets.

Jack noticed that the boarding platform for the vehicles was at the back. What they needed to do was get on that platform on the last of the transports, so as not to be seen by anyone driving behind them. They could then ride to the destination of all these people and perhaps find some answers.

They waited for what seemed like hours. There were literally hundreds of transport vehicles leaving the area. But finally there was one left and once it was about half loaded, they headed out to catch it. The Jaffa, and what few Goa’uld there were, were busy and didn’t even notice three humans zigzagging across the sand. They did manage to hide behind statues, other vehicles and some barrels and crates here and there. As the bus began its departure, they jumped up onto the platform and made themselves flat against the back so that even if anyone looked out the window, they would not be seen.

The drive was bumpy and a good bit longer than they’d expected. They rode for at least half an hour, if not a bit more. It was lucky that they had tracking devices embedded in their arms so Jacob and Teal’c would know where they were because they were out of sight of the original Hat’ak in minutes.

They were being driven up to a huge building, a building that looked like a temple, maybe another Hat’ak. The passengers were being offloaded and herded into the building. The easiest way to get inside would be to simply join the others but Jack did not want to be locked inside for any reason. They needed to be able to move about freely in order to find out what was going on.

So they waited and watched. The lines filed off the buses and into the building for hours. There were adults of both sexes and all types. All appeared to be human and they recognized the dress from several of the victimized planets, especially Yveria, which told them that the Goa’uld had harvested people from somewhere on that planet too.

It was near sunset when the last of the lines disappeared into the temple. SG-1 waited for darkness and then began to snoop about for a way in themselves. They found an opening far down the side of the building. They slipped inside unseen.

This was not just a palace. It was also a state of the art laboratory. People were being sent to various rooms to have tests done on them. There were so many people being moved from one place to another that the only reason SG-1 didn’t blend in was their weapons.

Still, no one paid them any attention at all. It was almost as if they were invisible. Everyone seemed to be entirely focused on what they were doing.

Which simply appeared to be routine medical exams.

“Now what?” Daniel mouthed to Jack.

Jack made a face and shook his head. He had no clue other than maybe try to look around a little more. They slipped down a quiet hall and back up another, repeating the same until they came to a set of double doors that were locked with large padlocks from the outside.

“Well, I’d say that’s door number one! Wonder what the prize is?” Jack said.

“Not a good one, I’m sure,” Daniel whispered back.

“Now what, sir?”

“I wish we could blow it open.”

Carter grinned at him. “Of course you do, sir.”

“Maybe the next person to go in will be alone and we can overpower him before he can call for help. Not much of an idea but what else have we got?” Jack asked.

They heard someone coming and slipped back into the shadows. He was pushing a large metal container, the type hospitals use to transport food from the kitchen to the patient rooms. The metal doors on the sides were closed, hiding or protecting whatever was on the inside.

“We could go in that,” Jack mouthed silently to Sam and Daniel.

“Or we could peep inside it,” Daniel said as the attendant began unlocking the heavy locks on the doors.

Jack rose and grabbed the attendant and hit him on the head with his sidearm. The man went down like a sack of potatoes. They unlocked the doors and pushed the cart into the room, dragging the attendant with them. There was no one in the room. They lifted the sides of the container and what they saw shocked them. There was a containment tank with hundreds and hundreds of Goa’uld symbiotes in it. They were large enough to implant in hosts, having already grown past the larval stage, a stage that required incubation from the Jaffa.

“They’re making new Goa’uld,” Daniel said. “What will they do with so many? The few there are fight among themselves like rabid dogs as it is.”

“That is what we’re here to find out,” Jack answered.

“I suggest we find out fast! Someone else is coming!” They hastily pulled down the sides and hurried further into the room to find a hiding place behind some cabinets. They left the attendant on the floor as if he’d fallen.

A Jaffa warrior walked into the room. “What the --” was as far as he got before Jack popped him with a Zat gun and he, too, fell like a rock.


	14. Campfire Tales

Chapter Fourteen – Campfire Tales

Dr. Fraiser found the children of Solvana to be a delight. They were braver and a lot tougher than most adults she knew but they were still children. The older ones looked after the little ones as best they could, even telling them bedtime stories before tucking them in at night, but they were glad to be able to let someone else do it for them too.

She was glad they had asked her to come. There was no serious disease to speak of among the children but they had wounds. Some were from simply living in the wild as they did and not having proper medical supplies or knowledge and some were worse. There were war injuries. Several children had been burned or hit with some sort of weapon fire and some had suffered broken bones as a result of being in buildings that were bombed or razed.

The worst were the children who had seen their parents die or had seen them taken away, which unfortunately was a great number of them.

The first thing she did was set up a clinic at the edge of the makeshift city. She talked Alton and Aggie into having every single child come to the clinic. She made sure they’d brought plenty of fruit and some treats for all ages, even sending back to the SGC when they ran out. Rather than candy, they got small toys, healthy snacks, and shoes. General Hammond had rounded up shoes all over Colorado Springs for her to take on her mercy mission.

AndroidCarter was helping Janet. They dressed a leg wound received from some metal roofing. It had infected and Janet had to clean it out before stitching it up and giving the boy a shot to prevent further infection. The brave little boy had never even cried. He couldn’t have been more than seven years old.

“I know to you I’m just an android but I’ve missed you,” AndroidCarter told her when the little boy had been taken to a bed to rest.

Janet smiled. It was difficult to remember sometimes that this wasn’t actually the Samantha Carter she knew. “Well, you’re certainly an exact copy.”

“I even have her memories up to the point that Harlan made us. We miss being SG-1. Daniel wants new worlds to explore. Teal’c longs to see his son. Jack is just bored without something to use C-4 on.”

“What about you?” Android or not, this was a person and Janet couldn’t treat her any other way.

“I miss home. Harlan is good to us and lets us putter around with all the equipment and he doesn’t mind when we go on missions. But still I miss Earth. I miss you and General Hammond. I miss my father though we seldom saw one another.”

“Maybe you can come for a visit sometime. I’ll talk to the general.”

They looked up and the line of children had come to an end.

“Well, that went well. I don’t think we had anything serious enough to send them back to the SGC for treatment. I’m glad, not just for them but I know General Hammond would have been uncomfortable with them at the SGC.” Janet put away her medical equipment and stood.

“Now we make them some food?” AndroidCarter asked with a smile.

“Well, something like that, I guess. Most of the food is from mess kits so they can do it themselves but we brought fresh veggies and fruits too. Mostly I want to make sure they get some fresh water and maybe the vitamin supplements we made up for them.”

The rest of Android SG-1 was busy too. They were helping make sturdier shelters for the children to live in. They had sent back for some temporary huts that could be assembled quickly and would provide more protection from the environment and from the weather.

Suddenly all work ceased as they all heard an aircraft in the distance. One look toward the city told everyone that the Goa’uld were back once again. They were flying over where the city had been. The first ship was joined by another one. They hovered for about half an hour, a time that it seemed that everyone held their breath, and then as they had before, the Goa’uld lifted up high into the sky and disappeared.

“What do you think they’re looking for?” Janet asked AndroidCarter.

“The only thing that we can think of is more people or maybe they’re checking to see if anyone is using the Stargate.”

“Do you think they know about the children here?”

“I think they have no need for them. They seem to want adults.”

“I wish they’d let us take them to the Alpha site.” A worried look crossed Janet’s face. “I can’t see leaving them here permanently if we don’t find the adults.”

“I know but right now, I think it’s something we need not think of quite yet. I’m hoping that some of the adults can be rescued and I think SG-1 is their best hope.”

Janet patted AndroidCarter’s hand. “It’s very easy to forget that your SG-1 is not the real one.”

“It’s easy for us to forget it too sometimes.”

That evening, everyone dined on fresh veggies and fruits and they all seemed to enjoy them, even if the food was a bit different from what they were used to. The marshmallows that Janet had tucked into the freight crates were especially a hit when AndroidJack showed the children how to toast them on sticks over an open fire.

Alton and Aggie were sitting with Morti and Kannath, watching all the little ones being pampered and spoiled by Android SG-1 and the soldiers from Earth who had come with the doctor.

“I sure do miss my father,” Aggie whispered to Alton, trying not to cry.

“I miss mine too but we mustn’t let the little ones see us cry.” Alton touched her hand.

“Do you think they are alive?” Morti asked.

“I hope so. I hope these Earthers can help us get them back.” Alton was trying to be brave too but it was hard for a fifteen year old boy to be the leader of a whole town. “What will we do if they don’t?”

Aggie sighed. “We’ll go to their Alpha site, I guess. We have to do what’s best for the littlest ones. Me, you, Morti and the others, we’d be okay but the little ones need some parents.”

“I sure hope ours come home soon,” Morti finally said, summing it up for them all.


	15. Checking In

Chapter Fifteen – Checking In

General Hammond was on pins and needles back at Stargate Command. He’d heard nothing from Dr. Fraiser since she’d asked for more food and nothing from SG-1 or Jacob either. He had not even gone home last night, but rather napped a bit in his chair. He’d told Walter to let him know if he got any word at all.

Nothing. There’d been nothing at all.

He went to the Operations room, taking an extra cup of coffee for Walter.

“Anything this morning?” He asked as if he’d not already asked twice in the last half hour.

Just as Walter started to answer, the claxons went off, signaling that the gate was active.

“It’s Dr. Fraiser’s IDC, sir.”

“Open the iris.”

Janet Fraiser stood in front of the M.A.L.P. She smiled at the camera, knowing that General Hammond was on the other side watching her.

“Hello, sir!”

“How is it going, Dr. Fraiser?”

“Very well. These children are strong and mostly healthy. They are very hospitable too and have made us feel right at home. I think I’d like to stay a few more days, if that would be possible. Perhaps you could send some more food and maybe some more clothes? We are hoping that SG-1 is able to get their parents back but if not, I think they will agree to come to the Alpha site. They’re pretty practical.”

“That’s good news. That’s the only news actually. We’ve not heard from SG-1 yet.”

“You will soon, I’m sure, sir.”

She signed off and the general let out a sigh a sigh of relief. Now he needed to hear from his other teams.

*

Somewhere above Waset, Jacob and Teal’c glided silently and invisibly around the planet in a low orbit. They had not heard anything at all from the rest of SG-1 but were still monitoring their location. They seemed to be moving around in one area which indicated to them that perhaps they were in an enclosure of some kind, a building perhaps.

“We need to send a message back to the SGC but if we do, our transmission could be picked up on the planet,” Jacob told Teal’c.

“Perhaps we should go down to see what has happened.”

Jacob certainly wanted to. Was it a good idea? Probably not, he thought, but that had never stopped him before.

“We just need to find somewhere to land this thing and to leave the cloak on so no one will see it.”

Teal’c just nodded.

Within minutes, they had found a place to land and had cloaked the ship before they disembarked to find SG-1. The area was desert like the part of Waset that SG-1 had transported to. There were several hills though and Jacob landed them behind a hill out of the line of sight from the city he could see in the near distance. He estimated they had several hours walk to the lines of temples and palaces he could see down in the valley floor.

“Looks like it’s going to take awhile. I guess we should get going,” he said as he took a sip from his water bottle and nodded at Teal’c.

The Jaffa simply nodded back and wordlessly began walking.

*

Yveria had been quiet since SG-12 had come through the gate. They’d all been busy fortifying the city and sending their loved ones through the gate. Col. Meyer of SG-12 was nothing if not efficient and almost all the women and children were off world by now. All weaponry had been moved to strategic positions close to the places where the Goa’uld would be most likely to land.

President Mullever had changed from his formal clothes to the garb of a soldier, a khaki type uniform with a pistol at his side. Col. Meyer found himself admiring the man’s guts. He liked a politician who wasn’t afraid to get dirty with his people. He, too, wished Earth had more men like that.

Col. Meyer contacted Earth to report in.

“How are things going?” General Hammond asked him.

“We are fine, sir. All is quiet and the evacs are going well. Almost done, as a matter of fact. We have been fortifying areas we expect them to attack if they come and gathering personnel together to fight if need be.”

“Sounds like all is under control there. Carry on, Col Meyer,” Hammond said as he signed off.

*

Somewhere away from all the commotion was a fleet of Goa’uld Hat’ak, the fleet of the system lords. They had gathered to talk about what was happening all over the galaxy, about how someone, another Goa’uld, was taking their cast off planets back and culling them for people.

Lord Yu was saying nothing and listening as Ba’al and Cronus argued over who they thought it was.

“We all know it has to be Apophis. He is only awaiting those of us who served him to join him and retake the galaxy from these silly Tau’ri fools,” Ba’al practically yelled at Cronus.

“I am not one of Apophis’ little lapdogs. I am a Goa’uld lord myself. I do not need him.”

“Children,” Wu finally said. “This is not Apophis’ work. This is someone new, someone we have forgotten or long buried.”

“Why do you say that?” another lower level system lord asked.

“Because not one of us knows who is doing this or why. We also do not know what planet they are using for a base.”

“How do we know that Ba’al is telling the truth when he says he doesn’t know?” Cronus asked.

“We don’t but why would he even be here otherwise? Wouldn’t he be out hunting humans with his Master,” the former Chinese Emperor said sarcastically.

They all nodded and looked suspiciously at Ba’al.

“I don’t know who is doing this but I am as anxious as you all are to find out. I suggest we start hunting for them on the planets they’ve been raiding. That might at least give us a clue,” Ba’al finally suggested.

The others agreed and then they debated for several more hours over who would get to go to investigate. They finally chose one of Yu underlings and one each from Ba’al and from Cronus to accompany him. The three set out immediately for Yveria in a Tel’tak.


	16. Gypsies in the Palace

Chapter Sixteen – Gypsies in the Palace

O’Neill, Jackson and Carter were crouched down behind the cabinets. No one had come to investigate what went with the Jaffa so they peeped out. The warrior was still out cold. They slipped out and tied him and the first man up too, gagging them both to keep them quiet.

“Now, let’s have a look around,” Daniel said as they moved through the huge room.

They opened several more moving containers that held more symbiotes. Jack started to shoot the tank but Carter put a hand on his arm.

“Sir, they may still not know we’re here now but if you shoot, they will for sure and it’ll be over.”

Jack lowered his weapon and made a face. “Sometimes I hate it when you’re right.”

They walked through rows and rows of such containers before coming to the end of the room. There were large double doors there too. They pushed them, expecting them to be locked but the doors opened to another hall. This one was long and narrow and curved left. They headed down it and at the end was yet another door. When they got close, they could hear voices inside.

They were Goa’uld voices, female ones. “You are our children and together with you, we will take the galaxy back and take our rightful places as its queens.”

“That sounds bad,” Daniel frowned.

“Sounds like we got some new Goa’uld enemies. Like we need more of them as it is!” Jack groused.

The voices stopped inside and SG-1 rushed to hide down the hall from where they’d come and they made it just in time. The Jaffa opened the doors and began to look down the main hall. Satisfied, they went back into the royal chambers and closed the doors again.

“We are giving you eternal life for the use of your bodies by your gods. What mortal could ask for more than that?”

There was the sound of voices disagreeing.

“Quiet! Or you shall be sacrificed. There are many planets throughout the galaxy with many people so we do not need you as much as you need us.”

A male Goa’uld voice spoke. “War is coming with the lesser gods and the false gods. Don’t you want to be on the winning side? Imagine the glory, the spoils of war.”

The people made loud noises again until they heard the unmistakable sound of staff weapons firing then all went quiet for a moment and one of the women spoke again.

“I thought you would agree with us in the end.”

“Kree, Jaffa!” They knew that meant almost anything but it was a command for the Jaffa to move. They could hear people moving quietly about in the room but no more speeches.

“We have to stop them,” Jack mouthed to Carter and Daniel.

“How?” Carter mouthed the words back.

Jack used his rifle and banged on the doors. Carter and Daniel ran for cover.

The doors immediately flew open and Jaffa poured out into the hallway.

Jack had a running start. “Catch me if you can!”

They all went after him as he ran almost headlong into Sam and Daniel, who opened fire on the Jaffa until they had fallen back far enough to duck into the room they’d originally entered. They took turns shooting at the Jaffa until they were all three in the room then they shut the doors and lowered the bar that locked them.

“Now what?” Daniel asked.

“We keep running. We need to get a message to Hammond. Earth needs to know what’s going on here and they need to know now.”

*

Jacob and Teal’c were just arriving at the building that SG-1 had seen when they first landed. They too were noticing the buses though this time they were coming back empty and parking.

“What do you make of it?” Jacob asked Teal’c.

“It appears whoever this Goa’uld is, he is starting his own planet.”

“And somewhere in this mess we’ll find Sam and SG-1.”

Before they could do anything, Jacob’s comm. device crackled and Jack whispered, “Are you out there?”

“Yes, Jack. We’re in this giant bus parking lot.”

“We’re at the other end of the road in the palace. They’re growing symbiotes for these people. Thousands of them.”

“Any idea who the Goa’uld are?”

“Queens, I think. At least two of them and perhaps one male, they refer to him as the King. One said she was Mot back in the president’s office on Yveria.”

“We’ve had no intelligence about this. I wonder how much the Goa’uld system lords know.”

“The place is so big, that you’ll never find us.”

“We’ll try to get close to where you are and you can find us,” Jacob told Jack.

“No. Go back to the ship. Let Hammond know what we’re dealing with.”

“What will you do?” Jacob figured he already knew the answer to that one.

“Cause trouble for the Goa’uld, what else?”

“Good luck and take care of Samantha.”

“You too, Jacob.”

Jacob turned to Teal’c. “He wants us to go home.”

Teal’c finally said, “Ring me into that building and you go back to report to the general.”

“Are you sure?”

“My place is here with SG-1. You can help us more by making your report so the general may make informed decisions when the time comes to act against these Goa’uld.”

Jacob agreed though there was no good way to ring Teal’c into the building. They would leave him in the nearby dunes where he could make his own way into the palace and join up with his team.

When it was done, Jacob made his way back into space and back toward Earth. George Hammond must be having a fit by now, not having heard from any of them in days. The trip by ship would take several days so he was heading for the nearest friendly planet and would gate to Earth and give his report then hopefully, he could lead a group back here to rescue SG-1 or at least be able to offer them back up if they needed it.

 

Teal’c actually made his way rather quickly to the palace and even found his way in relatively easily. He did not encounter any Jaffa or Goa’uld on his way in. They all seemed to be otherwise occupied.

That was when he heard weapons firing. At least he knew where O’Neill and the rest were and things seemed to be going pretty much as they normally did.


	17. A Pair of Queens and a King

Chapter Seventeen – A Pair of Queens and a King

The Jaffa had not given up and had actually found a huge wooden pedestal to use as a battering ram to try to force the doors open. SG-1 was too busy trying to figure out how to get out of the trap they’d gotten into to worry a lot about the doors being forced open.

They probably should have. Nothing could withstand the force of the Jaffa forever and they finally came crashing into the room. They were met with a hail of gunfire from SG-1. Most of the shots missed but in the noise and confusion, SG-1 made it out the door and into the hallway, where more Jaffa were on the way. They ducked into a small room and shut the doors.

“What now?” Daniel asked.

“We shoot our way out again?” Jack answered with his own question.

“Works for me,” Carter said.

They still had a bit of C-4 and a couple of tear gas canisters on them, as well as their weapons. Jack affixed the C-4 to the door and got one of the gas canisters out and ready to use.

He motioned for Carter to open the door.

“Deep breath!” he shouted as he threw the gas into the Jaffa and they all took off running. As soon as they’d cleared the doorway, Jack hit the switch and blew the C-4. It didn’t do a lot of damage but again it caused enough confusion to allow them to get away.

It was at this point that Teal’c heard them and made his way inside the building, almost catching Daniel Jackson as he ran headlong for the door.

“Run!” Jackson shouted at him.

They all made it outside the building but were pursued by the Jaffa. Teal’c led them toward a row of buses that were still arriving. They mingled in among the buses, running in and out until they came to the end, noticing that their pursuers had finally dropped back, perhaps in order not to harm the new captives.

They made their way to what appeared to be some sort of tool shed at the edge of the compound. Instead of going in immediately, they hunkered down behind it.

“Good of you to join us,” Jack said to Teal’c.

Teal’c nodded. “It is good to be here.”

Daniel had noticed something. “Where did these buses come from? The ones we followed haven’t had time to return with more.”

“There must be another landing strip,” Carter said.

“I think that may be among the least of our worries. In a few minutes, those Jaffa are going to be back with more Jaffa and they’re all going to be really pissed at us,” Jack reminded them all. “Ideas?”

“Run again?” Daniel asked.

“Where?” Carter asked. “Where do we have left to run to?”

“Then I guess we need to find those queens and figure out how to kill them.” Daniel knew that’s what they were going to do whether it was a good idea or not.

“Yep, that would be the idea,” Jack said.

They took a few moments to reload and drink a bit of water and ready themselves for their assault on the Goa’uld stronghold.

“Maybe we should kill the symbiotes. That should put an end to their ambitions,” Daniel said. “At least for a while.”

“But if they are true queens, then they can hatch thousands more in little time,” Teal’c pointed out.

They all headed back into the palace, largely unopposed until they were outside the room they’d heard the Goa’uld speaking in. But this time, they weren’t alone.

“You there! Halt!” one of the Jaffa shouted at them.

There were too many to fight. They put their arms up, surrendering. Maybe it would get them some intel if they got to meet the queens. If they survived the meeting.

They were rather unceremoniously herded into a cell. The door was locked and the Jaffa left. No questions, no threats, nothing.

“What an insult! We aren’t even enough of a threat to be brought before the Goa’uld,” Jack complained. “They didn’t even question us!”

“I’m sure they’ll get around to us, sir,” Carter said as she sat down, realizing that they actually needed to rest for awhile.

The Goa’uld did eventually get around to them. The Jaffa came for them and marched them into the large room where they’d spoken to the captives before. They got their first look at the other new Goa’uld. There were two women and one man. They had human hosts and were dressed in ancient Egyptian dress. They’d seen one of the queens before on Yveria.

“What are these little things that they dare to look upon us?” demanded one of the women. She didn’t seem to remember them from the planet. Jack guessed they’d not made much of an impression on a god.

“On your knees,” the Jaffa who led them in said as he kicked O’Neill behind the knees.

They all dropped to their knees, looking at the floor.

“Who are you?” asked the man.

“We are SG-1 from planet Earth and we have come to destroy you,” Jack said with a defiance that made the Goa’uld laugh out loud.

“You are but a worm to us,” said the other woman. “Do you not know who we are?”

“Not a clue, lady,” Jack answered her.

They looked up to see three sets of Goa’uld eyes glow for a second in anger. The man stood. “These are the consorts of the sun god Ra and I am his son. You may have heard of us. Amunet and Mut are Ra’s queens and I am Khonsu, god of the moon.”

Daniel’s eyes widened but Jack had never heard of them so his face showed nothing. This angered the Goa’uld more than his threats. Everyone knew of them!

“Take them back to their cells. All but this one,” Amunet pointed to Teal’c. “He has the marks of a Jaffa but I know not which god he serves.”

The Jaffa led the others back to their cell, leaving Teal’c alone before the trio of Goa’uld.

“Who do you serve?” Amunet asked Teal’c.

“I serve no one. I am a free Jaffa.”

They laughed.

“There are no free Jaffa. You exist only to serve. Who is your master?” Mut spoke this time.

“I serve no master.”

“Then you will serve us or die!” Mut said, anger bringing her to her feet.

“Then I shall die free!” Teal’c said as quietly as he had spoken his other answers.

“Take him away. He shall be executed before all our captives. They must know their masters,” Khonsu told his Jaffa.

Teal’c was led away.


	18. Trapping Snakes

Chapter 18 – Trapping Snakes

“Do you know who they are?” Daniel was both excited and frightened by the identity of the Goa’uld.

“Just more snakeheads to kill,” Jack replied. He was worried what they’d do to Teal’c and he was not terribly impressed by Egyptian mythology, certainly not as much as Daniel was.

“No. They are Ra’s own favorites and his son. These are very old Goa’uld. They date back to when Ra was on Earth, maybe before.”

“Are you saying that they may have been with Ra in ancient Egypt?” Carter asked.

“I think so but they seem to be out of touch with the other Goa’uld. I don’t even think they know the other system lords.”

“So that’s why they are amassing so many people?” Jack asked.

“I think they think they are the only Goa’uld now.”

“If those two are queens –”

“Then they plan on building a kingdom of their own with their thousands of offspring and their new Jaffa army,” Carter finished for Jack.

“This is bad,” Jack said, “very, very bad.”

*

Back at the SGC, Jacob was briefing General Hammond.

“So there are new Goa’uld that we didn’t even know about?”

“Neither did we,” Jacob answered. “They apparently are building a whole new world of Goa’uld with all these captives.”

“So what will the Tok’ra do about it?”

“I have not spoken to anyone yet. I came here first then I must make my report.”

“Do you think SG-1 has been captured?”

“By now, yes. I’d say they have.”

“Are these Goa’uld a threat to Earth?”

“You know the answer to that,” Jacob said to Hammond. “Eventually they will come for Earth like they did before.”

*

The Yverian radar picked up one Hat’ak as it came into their solar system. The operator reported this news to President Mullever and he, in turn, let General Hammond know. They decided to wait and see whether this was another raid or something different altogether.

Their wait was not long as the representatives of the system lords used the rings to transport into the capitol city. Goa’uld or not, three were outnumbered by the infantry that was coincidentally stationed not fifty feet from where they appeared. They were taken into custody and put in separate cells.

President Mullever and Col. Meyer went to question them.

“Why should we answer you?” Ba’al’s representative asked.

“Because you are in our cells and we have no intention of letting any of you go anywhere any time soon unless you answer us,” President Mullever said.

The Goa’uld decided not to talk so they left him, and left the others too. The cells were all in separate rooms so they could not talk and orders were issued that no one speak to any of them and under no circumstances were the prison personnel to go close enough to the cells to be within hand’s reach of the Goa’uld.

Perhaps they’d decide to talk soon.

*

Solvana had been quiet and all the children had settled into a routine with Janet and her staff. Android SG-1 decided that their work was done on this planet and they contacted General Hammond themselves.

“What is happening with SG-1?”

“I can’t tell you that,” Hammond answered, a bit wary of AndroidJack.

“That tells us plenty. We want to help. Janet has things under control here. The Marines can handle any situation here as well as we could.”

“Would you be willing to talk with the Tok’ra? Perhaps they have some information for you.” Hammond was hoping that Jacob would send them after his SG-1.

“Sure. Where?”

“I’ll see if I can get one of them here and you may gate in to meet with him.”

“That works for us.”

*

“You want me to meet with whom?” Jacob was surprised that Hammond would even consider this.

“We need their help and they are more than willing. They really are SG-1 in most ways. You’ll be surprised and Carter will be glad to see you again.”

“I cannot let them come to me here but we can meet on a neutral planet perhaps. I’ll get back to you with the details.”

“What did the council say?”

“They have detected some movement among the system lords and they believe that a scout ship was sent out on a fact finding mission to one of the former Goa’uld planets. We believe they will show up on Yveria.”

“That makes sense then. I got a report from Yveria that three Goa’uld had been captured and were imprisoned there but so far, they’ve not talked.”

“I should like to talk with them if I can.”

“I can have the other SG-1 meet you there then. It’s not neutral but I do not believe that President Mullever will not object if it gets the Goa’uld away from his planet faster.”

And so it was arranged for Jacob and Android SG-1 to meet on Yveria.

*

Android SG-1 bid goodbye to the children. The children did not want them to go but were brave and stoic about it, as they’d been about most things. Janet arranged a special meal for them all. She had grills and fresh chicken brought in and several of the Marines played chef as they barbequed chicken and toasted more marshmallows for dessert.

Android SG-1 planned to gate out before dawn when everyone was still asleep but Alton was up when they got ready to go.

“Thank you all for helping us. Doctor Fraiser has been wonderful, especially for the little ones. They need grownups more than we do.” He stopped and winced. “We all need our parents back and if your leaving will get us closer to that then I wish you luck.”

AndroidSam hugged the teen and pretended not to see the tears in his eyes. “We will do all we can to bring your parents back. Be brave and hold on a little bit longer.”

He nodded and they all put their packs on their backs and headed back to the gate to head out to Yveria for their meeting with the Tok’ra. General Hammond had told AndroidCarter that they’d be meeting with her father, who was apparently a Tok’ra now. It didn’t make much sense but hopefully everything would be explained.

In any event, it would be nice to see Dad, she thought.


	19. Jacob and the Androids

Chapter Nineteen – Jacob and the Androids

Jacob was shocked when he met AndroidCarter. She was, for all intents and purposes, his daughter Samantha. Yet she was a machine. Perhaps this was no stranger than him being a Tok’ra host was to her. She smiled when she saw him and ran to hug him.

“Dad! You look great! And what is this about your being a Tok’ra host?” She was beaming at him.

Jacob smiled back. “I was saved by the Tok’ra. I got terminal cancer and they offered me a chance at a new life if I could help one of their elders live a bit longer. I took it.”

“I never thought I’d see you again.” She hugged him once again for good measure.

“Now about the mission?” AndroidJack asked, clearly a little uncomfortable with this Carter family lovefest.

“Col. O’Neill, George talks about you quite a bit and you’re Daniel. It seems very odd to meet you when I already know you all.”

He led them into a meeting room and they all sat down.

“First, there are three Goa’uld being held prisoner here and I am about to talk to them. We do not believe they are part of this new Goa’uld problem. We believe they are spies from the system lords trying to figure out what’s going on. We also believe that it’s entirely possible that SG-1 is being held prisoner by the new Goa’uld on the planet that I just left from. O’Neill insisted that I return to the SGC to report to General Hammond and leave them there.”

“That’s where you come in. SG-1 might need rescuing and we think you may have the best chance at doing it.”

“Can we gate there? We are almost at our time limit away from Altair. Our portable power supplies are nearly depleted.”

Jacob hadn’t thought of that and neither had Hammond. “How long do you need?”

“Long enough to change out our portables. Harlan has several sets made for us. We, uh, like to wander away from home quite a bit. That’s not something we tell SG-1 or General Hammond though,” Daniel told Jacob.

“Ah.”

Jacob knew that meant he wasn’t to tell either. He shrugged. It wasn’t his place to inform the SGC of everything anyway. He expected that the less they knew at the SGC, the better it would be for everyone involved.

“You can gate back here after your visit home. Then we will head for SG-1’s location.”

They did just that, recharging then they boarded the Tok’ra ship and headed to Waset to rescue SG-1 and possibly save the world. Again.

*

Unknown to Jacob and Android SG-1, two Goa’uld from system lord Wu followed them at a discreet distance in a very small ship. It was their only way to find out where these mystery Goa’uld were. Their job was to find these usurpers. Their lord made it clear that there was no room in their galaxy for more Goa’uld lords. He and the other system lords would sweep in and destroy them once they were located.

*

SG-1 had mostly languished in their cells for the last few days since their capture. They were sure that the Goa’uld had forgotten about them. Perhaps humans were of so little import that they didn’t even consider them worth another thought. Certainly not a threat. They got food and water once a day though so they knew that they weren’t completely forgotten.

Teal’c had been returned at the end of the first day. He said they didn’t seem to know what to do with him so they’d sent him back to his cell. Apparently they weren’t prepared for executions yet. Perhaps they feared such a thing would terrify their new captives too much.

“I wonder who the general will send to rescue us,” Daniel was thinking out loud.

“He can’t afford to send anyone, not with the superior forces here,” O’Neill said.

“What forces, sir? We’ve not seen many Jaffa, just those small groups who moved us and the ones who guard the Goa’uld.”

Jack thought for a bit. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe they’ve not built armies yet because they’ve not had enough people.”

“Or maybe their armies are out gathering up more people on more planets,” Daniel added.

“The point is that they may not be here. If we could get out of these cells, we might cause some real damage.” Jack was getting a bit more enthusiastic about Sam’s observation now.

“How are we going to get out of here?” Carter asked.

“We’ll think of something.” Jack was not concerned with details now. He was more interested in ways to kill the Goa’uld and destroy their breeding capabilities. The last thing the galaxy needed was thousands more Goa’uld roaming around at will, taking slaves and wreaking havoc.

“Do we have C-4?” Teal’c rather liked O’Neill’s explosions.

“Not too much but enough to do some damage in the right places. I’m glad they simply threw us in the cell and only took our weapons,” Jack was itching to blow up some Goa’uld butt.

“So how do we do it?” Daniel asked.

“That’s the part I’m working on,” Jack finally acknowledged.

*

Jacob and the androids were entering orbit around Waset in their little cloaked ship. He had told them everything he knew, which admittedly wasn’t much.

“So what are we to do? You have no idea where they are and no idea where the Goa’uld are? Is that right?” AndroidJack was skeptical at best. Honestly, he didn’t figure they had a snowball in hell’s chance but they certainly would try.

“I think we have to find the tanks with the symbiotes and destroy them then kill the queens,” Jacob said.

“Piece of cake,” AndroidDaniel laughed. “Do we have some weaponry?”

“Guns and some explosives, C-4 and some grenades.”

“We can do lots with that if we can just find them.” AndroidJack really did think a lot of the world’s problems could be solved with the application of high explosives, just as his human counterpart did.

“We need to find SG-1 too. Rescuing them should be high on our priority list,” Carter said.

“You think they’d want us to rescue them first? They’d want us to kick Goa’uld ass first,” AndroidJack said, “then rescue them.”

“But they could be of great help. They have been through the palace,” Jacob reminded them.

“How hard can it be?” Daniel asked.

“You haven’t seen the size of the palace and surrounding buildings yet.”

“So how do we find them?”

“They have devices under their skin that can help pinpoint their location but it can’t exactly tell us how to get to it. That part is on us,” Jacob said as he checked the embedded tracking devices. It gave him some relief to see that they were all together still and that they were all alive. That was all the devices could tell him.

He turned to Android SG-1. “It’s now or never. We’ll get you as close as we can.”

He landed the little cloaked craft not far from the city.

“Tell us where you saw them last and stay here,” AndroidJack said as they disembarked.

Jacob herded them in the right direction, with a description of the building they needed to go into and off they went.


	20. Closing In

Chapter Twenty – Closing In

The larger Goa’uld fleet followed a day behind their scout ship. The scout had arrived in orbit just after Jacob and his crew had. They too had cloaked and established an orbit. They sent a message to Lord Yu and then waited until his fleet arrived. Those were their orders.

Lord Yu sat in his command chair and watched as his human servant navigated the huge ship. He had once done this himself but now he did not feel the need to control such mundane things. He saved his energy for important things and for watching the rest of the system lords. They were an unruly lot, not like Goa’uld lords had been in the old days when being an emperor meant as much as being a petty god, which was all Ba’al and his ilk seemed to hunger for.

He wondered what they were going to find here. He didn’t remember any major lords who had disappeared without explanation in the last several thousand years. Perhaps he’d know them when they met just before he had them killed.

“Send a unit of Jaffa down to the planet to find a place for me to enter the city. I will ride through the city in triumph.”

Yu’s servant thought his master had lost his mind, but that was not a new thought to him. If Yu couldn’t get rid of Ba’al and the others, how did he think he’d ever get rid of these Goa’uld?

It was not his to question why. He did as he was told, albeit with a sigh.

*

Android SG-1 made their way to the palace, ducking and hiding now and again from Jaffa patrols but the security was not terribly heavy. There was no need. They had taken their tiny band of invaders prisoner and did not expect further problems.

Getting into the palace was simply a matter of waiting until the guard was the furthest away. The double doors weren’t even closed. They darted into the doors and down the long hallway until they found another doorway to pop into.

They found nothing of interest in the room and resumed their exploring. They finally came to the room with the tanks of Goa’uld larva.

“I think perhaps we need to blow these things up,” AndroidCarter said.

AndroidJack shook his head. “Not yet. We need to find the big Goa’uld and kill them first. Them we _can_ blow up.”

They wandered through the palace and finally did come to the throne room. The doors were closed but they could hear the Goa’uld talking to what sounded like a group of prisoners.

“We are your gods. We have brought you from far away worlds to worship and serve us. When our armies are large enough, you will help us to show the entire galaxy how to worship their true gods. We shall rule again as we did in our former glory!”

There were some unhappy groans and mumblings but nothing Android SG-1 could make out through the door. Then the goddess shouted, “Take them away. I no longer wish to look upon such fools.”

The androids realized they needed to be gone before the big doors opened and the Jaffa began marching the prisoners away. They dropped back to the nearest doorway and crouched while the Jaffa cleared the throne room. This took several minutes as there were a few hundred people in the room.

After all was quiet again, AndroidCarter said, “I wonder where the side entrance to the throne room is. They have to have their own doors that maybe lead to their quarters.”

“We need to get into that room when they leave and follow them back to their rooms. Maybe we will have more private access to them there.”

Before they had time to act, there was a noise of people walking again, many people and they watched as six Jaffa marched another group of ‘recruits’ into the throne room for their obligatory exhortation from the gods.

“Maybe we should try to join a group,” AndroidDaniel said. “It would get us into the room.”

“We’d need to leave our packs behind,” AndroidCarter warned.

“So we put the explosives and our handguns in our jackets and join them.”

AndroidJack nodded. “Teal’c, you stay here. See if you can overpower a Jaffa and take his clothes and weapons.”

“Or just stay hidden,” AndroidDaniel added.

AndroidTeal’c merely nodded.

They quickly jumped into the line of humanity flowing into the audience chamber and filed in. They’d finally get a look at the new Goa’uld. They were not allowed to sit though there were long benches much like those in a courtroom or church.

The Goa’uld were on the throne. Two women and one man. They were all tall and slender with jet black hair. They looked like ancient Egyptian artwork come to life. They wore headdresses and long robes, real precious stones and gold around their necks and arms. They were certainly not quite the same as the Goa’uld they’d seen before though they couldn’t quite pinpoint why. AndroidDaniel thought they seemed more authentic, like they believed themselves to truly be the gods they claimed to be.

“We are your gods. Amunet and Mut, consorts of Amun-Ra and Khonsu, god of the moon. We have brought you here to worship and serve us.”

The woman who spoke must have been Amunet since the other two nodded as she called their names. AndroidDaniel was excited to see them even though he knew they were likely to be destroyed beyond Harlan’s ability to repair during this mission. He wondered if these Goa’uld had been on earth with Ra two thousand years before. He wished there was time to find out many things but he knew there wasn’t. It was the nature of their work sometimes to destroy the thing they’d like to know the most about.

“You will be our new brothers and sisters and our new Jaffa armies, my children,” the other woman said. “You will help us spread our worship to the entire galaxy!”

This crowd had little more enthusiasm than the one before and after several attempts to rally them, the Goa’uld shouted that they be taken away.

Android SG-1 was marched from the room with the rest. They did not get a chance to slip away though since the group seemed to be more heavily guarded than they had coming in. Perhaps someone else had given them trouble.

Maybe it had been SG-1.


	21. Accidental Diversion

Chapter Twenty-One – Accidental Diversion

Lord Yu’s Jaffa did not find the planet very receptive to their advances. They had not done a very good job of hiding themselves as they landed on the planet and the native Jaffa had been alerted to their presence and met them with opposition. The first group of Yu’s Jaffa had actually been ambushed and disposed of before they knew what hit them so the next patrol was much more cautious. They made it into the city before they were seen and this time they gave as good as they got but the Waset Jaffa still managed to keep them from taking over. They were actually driven back but not destroyed.

Lord Yu simply sent more Jaffa. They were very expendable to him and he had many to expend.

*

SG-1 heard weapons firing outside from in their cells.

“The cavalry?” Daniel asked.

“Jaffa,” Teal’c said, shaking his head. “There is mostly staff weapon fire.”

“But – no, you don’t think the other Goa’uld have come to check this place out too?” Jack wondered aloud.

“I don’t really want to exchange one Goa’uld prison for another,” Daniel said.

“Not sure it makes much difference,” O’Neill said. “If the palace Jaffa get called away to fight, I say we blow our way out of here and take our chances.”

“I agree,” Sam nodded. “It’s the best chance we’ll get.”

They got out their C-4. “Is that going to blow us all up too?” Daniel was not as fond of explosives as O’Neill and Carter.

“It could,” Carter thought aloud. “Maybe we could shield ourselves with our jackets.”

Teal’c spoke up. “I can shield you also. My symbiote will protect me.”

“Then let’s do it when we get the chance,” Daniel agreed.

They waited for the sounds of battle to get closer. They knew they’d only get the one chance so they had to make it count.

*

Android SG-1 was still with the group of prisoners. They were marching back to the labs when they heard gunfire outside.

“Sounds like we have company,” AndroidCarter whispered.

“It must the Goa’uld. Jacob said there were Goa’uld snooping around on Yveria and I’ll bet they followed us here to snoop around here too,” AndroidDaniel said.

They stayed in the long line but were watching for any chance to break and run. If the shooting continued outside, then more of the Jaffa would join in. That would give them the chance they needed to find SG-1.

*

Lord Yu was sending reinforcements in the way of aircraft, sent to bomb the outlying areas first. He did not want the unknown Goa’uld harmed if possible. Not that he was concerned for their safety but he was curious as to who they were. The outlying areas were the living quarters for the Jaffa and their families. The bombing runs had them scrambling to get into the main part of the city.

What Yu’s forces did not expect was that the Jaffa would return fire. They had anti-aircraft weapons even as far out as the Jaffa villages and the old men, women and children went out to man the guns. They fired with somewhat successful results, blowing at least one of Lord Yu’s planes up after it ran headlong into the flat desert. The Jaffa families cheered as they watched it blow up in the distance.

*

SG-1 heard the rumble of aircraft overhead and the unmistakable vibrations of bombs hitting the ground with great force.

“I don’t know who is out there but I think it’s about time we got out there too.” Jack was antsy as hell. He wanted to see what was going on, to be in on the action. “Let’s do it. We can run for the main corridor and hope that the Jaffa are too busy to bother with us. Maybe we can pick up some weapons somewhere.”

O’Neill and Carter put the C-4 on the lock of the cell door and set the timer. They huddled in the farthest corner with Teal’c shielding them with his body.

“Five, four, three, two…” Jack’s next words were lost in the sound of the blast. As soon as the blast was done, Teal’c stood and dusted himself off. There were a few nicks in his back where small spots of blood could be seen but to Teal’c, these were minor cuts. Soon they all were poking their heads out of the cell.

“Coast is clear,” Jackson called and they all took off toward the main corridor, the one with the throne room.

The corridor was busy with people being herded hastily into the lab. They just happened to see four very familiar faces in the line. Android SG-1!

“Jack, look,” Daniel pointed to their doubles.

“How the hell did they get here?” Jack snorted.

Android SG-1 spotted them too and made a break for it. Fortunately, the Jaffa were dealing with the humans already in the lab and were not bothering with the end of the line. After all, where were they going to go?

The people in the line gaped at them when they noticed that there were sets of identical people standing before them. Jack grabbed his counterpart and they raced toward the throne room.

“Why that way?” AndroidJackson called out as they ran.

“We need to make sure those Goa’uld don’t escape,” Jack answered him.

“But what if it’s the Goa’uld that attacked?”

“Then we hope they kill the new Goa’uld.” Jack stopped for a split second. “How did you get here?”

“Jacob brought us,” AndroidJack answered. “He’s outside the city, cloaked.”

“What we need is a Stargate,” Carter said. “How else are we going to get these people out of here?”

“One thing at a time,” O’Neill said. “Call Jacob and see if he can tell us what is going on out there.”

AndroidCarter called Jacob. He told them it appeared that the Goa’uld system lords had come to pay a call and to destroy the new kids on the block. He said it looked as though the home team was holding its own so far. Yu’s Goa’uld were bombing the cities but there were enough defenses on the ground to keep them from actually taking over.

Jacob assured them he could take them out of there if he had to. There had to be rings there somewhere and he was not that far from them anyway.

“And by the way, there are Tok’ra ships coming this way too.”

“Not much of a cavalry but better than nothing,” Jack said to AndroidCarter to relay to Jacob. “Tell him we’re going to find a Stargate and we’re going to see if these captives want to be freed.”

After they signed off, they went in search of the monarchs of Waset and in search of a Stargate. AndroidCarter and Jackson stayed behind to talk to the captives, who didn’t seem to be very well-guarded at the moment, at least not in the farthest parts of the group.

It was time for action while no one was looking.


	22. Bound and Gagged

Chapter Twenty-Two – Bound and Gagged

Word had finally gotten back to Yveria and Solvana that SG-1 had found out where their missing people had gone. The SGC was getting updates from the Tok’ra concerning actions on the planet and they all knew the Goa’uld system lords had acted. What they didn’t know was that it was only Yu who had acted and the other Goa’uld were making their way hastily to Waset to aid Yu but mainly to get their share of the spoils of war.

On the planet, the battles were going back and forth with each side doing little more than holding its own. Yu’s plans for a triumphant entrance to the city were now postponed. Instead the oldest of the system lords stayed on his ship and monitored the battle from a safe distance.

AndroidCarter and Jackson had found out that some of the captives had seen a Stargate. It was in one of the rooms here in the rambling palace. They had not seen it work or anyone dialing it so they couldn’t be sure that it was a working one. Jackson relayed directions to the rest of the team and AndroidJackson, AndroidO’Neill and Carter headed off to find it while Jack and the two Teal’cs went in search of the queens.

O’Neill stopped a second and said, “Remember when I didn’t put C-4 on those symbiote tanks? Well, I lied.” He triggered a device and they heard the sound of several explosions inside the building as they ran, Jack smiling all the while.

*

It only took a few minutes to find the Stargate. It was in one of the locked rooms off of the main corridor. AndroidO’Neill shot the lock off the door and when they went inside, there it stood. It looked just like their own Stargate in Cheyenne Mountain. AndroidJackson went closer.

“It has a DHD and it looks fine. Want to check it out?”

Carter grinned and said, “Dial home, Daniel.”

He dialed the SGC and it worked. He was able to get a message through with his comm. device.

“General Hammond, not much time. We have found a gate. You should have the coordinates. Help would be good. We’ll begin sending people through to the Alpha site as soon as we can. Out.” He didn’t even bother to tell General Hammond that he wasn’t the real Jackson. It really didn’t matter who was who right now.

“Let’s just hope he got it and he sends help,” AndroidDaniel said as the iris closed.

“We should let the others know. We might be able to start sending people home soon.”

They quickly and quietly let the others know then began to explore the area for weapons and anything else they could use. They found little but even a little was good.

When the captives heard that the gate was working, they began to ask if they could leave. Finally they decided to pass word up the line and for everyone to simply walk away, following SG-1 to the gateroom. The captives were from various planets, even Yveria. There were also still many from Solvana being processed. Evidently the Goa’uld had taken them before they were ready to implant the symbiotes and had been holding them at the first facility for some time.

All of the captives were being sent to the Alpha site since there wasn’t time to sort them out here. So far, no Jaffa had come to investigate and everyone hoped it stayed that way. Word came down the line that all the Jaffa had left to fight. They needed to get as many of these people out as possible then find the others who had to be held here somewhere. None had been made hosts yet as far as anyone could tell.

*

O’Neill and his flanking Teal’cs were able to slip into the throne room without much trouble at all. It was empty without even a Jaffa guard, so they began to explore. To the back of the dais were doors on either side. One probably led to the Royal quarters and the other, well, it was anyone’s guess.

“Which one?” Jack asked.

AndroidTeal’c pointed to the left while Teal’c pointed to the right. Jack shrugged and went to the left one. The ornate door opened easily. Inside were the electronic operations of the palace. There were banks of computers and monitors all over the place. Jack debated shooting them all but decided that they might need lights to get around in here for a bit longer.

“Let’s check the other one,” he said to his companions and led them out and across the dais to the other door. It was locked. Jack raised his pistol to shoot the lock but Teal’c stopped him. Instead he tapped a hidden panel on the wall and a control box opened. He punched a few buttons and the lock clicked. He looked over at O’Neill and smiled.

They opened the door slowly, weapons raised. The lone Jaffa went down quickly from a Zat gun hit. He’d be out for a bit. AndroidTeal’c tied him up and they moved farther into the Royal apartments.

The rooms were huge and decorated sumptuously in Egyptian finery. There were three rooms leading from the main one. The main room contained a sarcophagus, a staple in any well furnished Goa’uld home and the way they kept their human hosts alive and functioning for so many years. Jack hated the things. He’d experienced one first hand and so had Daniel.

The middle door opened and out stepped Khonsu.

“Jaffa!” he called but none came.

The queens came out of their doors.

“Who are you?” Mut asked O’Neill.

“I am Col. Jack O’Neill from planet Earth and we’ve come to put an end to you. We’ve met before, by the way.”

Her laughter tinkled like chimes as Amunet joined in. “It is you who will end instead.”

She was so intent on O’Neill that she wasn’t paying attention when AndroidTeal’c shot her with a Zat gun. She crumpled on the floor as Khonsu held his hand up and attempted to catch the android in his hand device but it had no effect. Teal’c launched himself toward Mut as AndroidTeal’c zatted Khonsu too.

Jack jumped on the female Goa’uld too. It took some doing but the two of them finally subdued the angry queen while AndroidTeal’c had bound the two unconscious Goa’uld.

Finally they had three captive Goa’uld.

“Who are you?” Jack asked.

“We are the heirs of Amun-Ra! We have returned from a long sleep to take our place in his galaxy,” Mut spat angrily. “No puny humans will stop us.”

“We have so far,” Jack gloated.

“That will not last long. Our children will number in the thousands, even millions.”

“Oh, you mean the ones in the tanks? I blew them up before we came to get you.”

Her face twisted in pain and her eyes flashed fury. “You will surely die!”

“Gag them and lock them in the closet,” O’Neill ordered.


	23. War Wages Above

Chapter Twenty-Three – War Wages Above

Several Tok’ra ships came out of hyperspace and moved toward Waset. They had come to monitor and to fight if need be. They were also very curious about these new Goa’uld. They went far back into their records and finally found the consorts of Ra, the sun god, as he called himself. They, along with one of Ra’s heirs, Khonsu, had left recorded history several thousand years ago. It was written that Ra himself had cast them out after they had plotted his demise so they could rule his empire for themselves.

It would seem that after thousands of years of rest on their own secret hideaway here at Waset, they were ready to build an empire of their own. Most, if not all, of the system lords did not even exist when these three were cast out and removed from history.

One of the Tok’ra ships hailed Jacob.

“What are the conditions on the surface?”

“Fighting, lots of fighting. The system lords have come and engaged the Jaffa already here. I believe they are Yu’s troops.”

“We believe he will have company soon. Our scanners tell us that more Goa’uld ships are heading this way.”

“The other system lords come to pick over the bones and stop Yu from getting more power than they have?”

“It would appear so. Do you require assistance?”

“I’m waiting for SG-1 and their android counterparts. They are inside the Goa’uld palace.”

“We will not interfere then. Good luck.”

Jacob wondered how the teams were doing. He even wished he were with them, helping them.

*

Col. Jack O’Neill and his companions were doing well. O’Neill and the two Teal’cs had captured the Goa’uld trio. They were bound, gagged and locked in a small electrical closet in the computer center opposite their quarters. Their guards had been given the same courtesy. Their weapons were confiscated.

Carter and the androids Jack and Daniel were sending captives through the Stargate as quickly as they possibly could do so. They were being sent to the Alpha site.

AndroidCarter and Daniel were scouting farther into the labs to see what the situation was there. They found no Jaffa guarding them and the lab techs were humans who’d been conscripted into running the labs. They were simply some of the Goa’uld’s early captives. They were happy to stop work, especially when they saw that the lines began to move out of the lab instead of into it. They wanted to go home too.

One of the men at the head of the line stopped Daniel and AndroidCarter. “Do you know if our children are safe?”

AndroidCarter asked him, “Are you from Solvana?”

“Yes, and we sent our children out of the city for safety but we never expected to be taken and to leave them alone.”

“They are doing well. A doctor and some soldiers from Earth are making sure they are well, sheltered and fed. They are waiting for your return and even refused to leave the planet for safety. You have brave children.”

The man turned and spoke quietly with the person close to him and the word of the children began to run back down the line. Daniel and AndroidCarter saw relief on the faces of many of the adults in line.

“I’m glad Janet went to care for the children,” AndroidSam said to Daniel, “but I’m even more pleased that the families will be reunited soon. Those children were amazing.”

“I just hope the Goa’uld and Jaffa continue to be busy enough to ignore us so we can get them all out before the fighting comes inside.”

*

Lord Yu realized that they were not alone above Waset. Other Goa’uld ships began to appear and he was hailed by Lord Ba’al.

“Wanting a new kingdom for yourself, emperor?”

“We came to investigate. The city is heavily guarded by Jaffa. We’ve not been able to take over yet. I am glad to have you here,” Yu lied smoothly to the other system lord.

“Shall we decide how to divide the planet now or wait until it’s over and fight it out?” Ba’al was all but telling Yu that he wanted his half now.

“You may take half of anything of value but the capitol city is mine,” Yu finally agreed.

Ba’al didn’t like it but he nodded. “I’ll send my Jaffa down to join yours.”

With the extra troops, Yu reckoned that they could take the planet easily and then he could get rid of Ba’al and the others. He cut the connection.

*

Jack and the Teal’cs found several more tanks of Symbiotes and they blew each and every one to bits. They met only a few Jaffa and both Teal’cs had acquired staff weapons by then so they made short work of anyone in their way. They made their way back to the rest of the team.

“We put the queens and king on ice for now. How’s it going here?” Jack asked Carter.

“We are sending as many through as we can. We’ll have to shut down in a few minutes and redial.” She moved closer and spoke quietly so as not to be heard by the captives. “Have you noticed that the bombing seems to have increased out there?”

“More Goa’uld maybe? What we need is to get these people out then blow it all to hell.”

“I’m not sure we have the capability to do that. Have you spoken to my father?”

“No, but we should check in with him.”

O’Neill radioed Jacob and got the info that more Goa’uld had joined the battle and were now making runs on the planet too.

“I’d say it is Ba’al. There’s no way he’d let Yu take the planet. I’m sure they’ve made some deal to divide it once they’ve conquered it.”

“We need to make sure there’s little to nothing for them to claim.”

“Uhoh,” Jacob said as if he were distracted.

“What?” Jack asked.

“I think I know where your Jaffa went. A group of bombers and fighters just took off from the planet. I’d say they belong to your queens.”

“I don’t care what they do to one another as long as we have time to move these people. I think the rest is up to your people, Jacob. So far, we’ve handled this one alone.”

Jack never liked the Tok’ra and he especially disliked the way they let others do all the fighting and dying for a cause they claimed to be passionate about. To him, they operated more like terrorists than warriors, letting others do the heavy work while they swooped in with a strike here and there and took all the credit.

“I will try to get you some help down there.”

“You do that.” Jack cut off the connection. He didn’t expect anything from them.


	24. Money for Nothing

Chapter Twenty-Four – Money for Nothing

Good as his word, Jacob got the Tok’ra to send some people in to help with the evacuation. They began using the rings they found in two different locations to ring into their ships. Luckily the Goa’uld ships were busy enough not to pay the two small ships much attention.

The fighting outside was getting louder and closer all the time. The teams were alone now, except for the three Goa’uld they had tied up in the closet. They had located one more huge room full of captives waiting to be processed and began to move them to both the gate and the rings to get them off the planet as quickly as possible.

Everyone went completely still when the building shook much harder than it had before followed by the sound of crashing somewhere inside. It sounded as if some of the bombs had finally gotten through. Their time was nearly up.

“Keep moving,” Carter urged the scared lines of people. “We don’t know how much time we’ve got so we can’t afford to waste any.”

The captives were near panic but both Daniel and his android double mingled among them, calming them and soothing their worries as best they could. The end of the line was in sight but there were still many people to get off the planet. No one was sure that these were all the people being held here either.

Finally it began to look as if they might be close to being overrun. They could hear troops within the palace. Teal’c identified them as Yu’s Jaffa by the language they spoke as they shouted orders and information to one another.

The androids all looked at one another and AndroidO’Neill spoke to Col. O’Neill. “We will guard the corridors. You make sure that you get them,” he pointed to the few captives remaining, “and yourselves out of here. We’ll hold them off as long as we can.”

O’Neill nodded and the androids headed toward the front entrance of the building with all the weapons and ammo they could carry. AndroidTeal’c had a staff weapon in each hand.

The last hundred or so people were crowding close to the gate. Carter feared they were going to stampede, but they didn’t. They made an orderly line and began to walk through one or two at a time until the last one went through.

SG-1 heard gunfire exchanged at the front of the palace and shouting then silence. Daniel found himself hoping that the androids made it through. He dialed home and they walked through the gate to Cheyenne Mountain.

Hammond was in the gateroom as they came through.

“What happened?”

“We got the people all transported to the Alpha site and aboard Tok’ra ships then we gated out. The other SG-1 is holding the Goa’uld back as long as they can,” Carter answered

“What about the Goa’uld leaders?”

“We left them tied in a closet. Didn’t have time to go back for them. I’m sure someone will dispose of them, what with Lord Yu, Ba’al, and the Tok’ra there,” Jack said.

“Any chance the androids will make it out?”

“Who knows?” Jack shrugged. “It didn’t look good.”

*

On Waset, it was fairly quiet except for a sporadic gunfire burst here and there. The skies had finally gone quiet. The royal palace was littered with dead Jaffa as Lords Yu and Ba’al arrived in the long hall. They frowned as they stepped over bodies on their way to the throne room.

They stopped to stare into the symbiote chambers at the mangled tanks with dead Goa’uld larva lying all around.

“The queens had thousands of offspring. Would that our own queens were that productive,” Yu said.

They did not linger in those death chambers but moved along to their goal, the Goa’uld throne room.

They found it empty. They sent their Jaffa to the two adjoining rooms to check them out.

“My lord, come!” called one of Yu’s servants.

Both Goa’uld went into the room that housed the three Goa’uld. They saw the sarcophagus with its top blown to bits. Then they saw the closet door slightly ajar. The Jaffa opened it cautiously. Gags and ropes lay discarded on the floor. Otherwise the closet was empty.

The two system lords looked at one another and realized that they had exactly what they had come with and nothing more. The whole exercise had been a waste of time. They had nothing to show for it.

“I do not believe that these ‘queens’ ever even existed,” Lord Yu said finally. That was how they would play it, as if the whole thing had simply been a wild goose chase. No one need know of the dead symbiotes they saw or the enemy Jaffa. No one at all.

*

Four battered androids were making their way slowly to the area where Jacob had dropped them off. They had called him and let him know they were coming. They were a little worse for wear. Androids Carter and Teal’c had limbs missing and AndroidO’Neill had a hole through his midsection but the blast had missed his vital servomechanisms so he could still move. Metal shone through AndroidJackson’s hair where his scalp had been blasted away.

Jacob was a bit taken aback at just how battered they were but he took them all into his ship. Just as they were going up the small ramp, they heard a ship in the distance and looking, they saw a huge Goa’uld mothership rise from the desert and pause for a moment over the wasteland that was Waset now then it rose, changed directions and flew away.

“I guess they escaped after all,” Jacob said to himself.

They soon followed suit and left the planet, heading toward Earth. From there, the androids would be sent home to Altair with stern orders not to go out on missions without permission from the SGC.

And just like they had done time and time again in the past, they’d ignore those orders and head out as often as they could to save the galaxy one more time.


	25. Epilogue - All's Well that Ends Well

Epilogue – All’s Well that Ends Well

AndroidO’Neill smacked Harlan’s hand away as the older man fussed with some small detail of his repair work for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“Will you quit it?”

“I want you to be better.” Better was what Harlan promised them when he made them. So far, he’d kept his word.

“I’m better enough. We all are, so stop pestering us all the time. Don’t you have a machine to fix?”

Harlan smiled that tolerant smile and waddled away to tinker with one of the machines AndroidJack was referring to. They always needed to be better than they were.

“That went fairly well, don’t you think?” AndroidDaniel asked.

“If by getting blown to bits you mean well, then yes, it was a resounding success,” AndroidJack answered.

AndroidCarter smiled.

Everything was back to normal.

Everything.

~the end~


End file.
